Family News Blog

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February, 2008: Changes Part 2

We're getting used to the weather just....being cruddy. Our house is very cozy and fun now on bad weather days; while there's a lot of organizational things that need to happen, we're slowly moving forward with culling the toy herd and organizing what we have.

We figured out that our gas insert fireplace has a closable damper AND a wonderful gas shut-off valve in the mudroom; so that, combined with the CO detector in place and a 428.00 heating/electricity bill last month means now the house is warmer AND hopefully more energy efficient. As soon as we can, we'll be adding to the r factor in the attic; hopefully this fall, if all goes well.

Iris is back in gymnastics and is working on pullovers on the high bar and front rollovers on the low balance beam. She's also in art class once a week; Daisy Scouts, and QUEST at our church on Thursdays after school. Kellen, for his part, isn't doing any out of daycare activities. I asked him, but he's so tired at night that he just wants to go home and be with us and unfortunately, watch t.v. We've instituted tickets, and when he's out of them, no more. He can write his first name now.

I've finally got a good birdfeeder set up that the racoons can't get to. We have an oppossum that sits in the tree down the bank a ways and we're enjoying watching its antics. Not much deer right now where we can see them, but LOTS of songbirds.

My job is undergoing some restructuring in my area and I was informed that I'll be back in Horrabin Hall in a few months; which is fine by me, because that will greatly simply our morning commute. Peter won't have to go all the way around to drop me off, and I can walk/bike on most days. Sweet. I'll miss my buddies here in University Relations, but I'll still be in plenty of contact with them, as I'll still be doing the work. Still...just when I thought I had found the place I could work happily until I retire, they move all of us. *sigh.

September 21, 2007: Fall, Fast & Furious

Yes, it's fall. How did that happen? In the past 8 weeks:

• Iris started going to Catch-a-Star for daycare/afterschool
• Iris learned how to swim all over the pool
• Kellen started attending Catch-a-Star for daycare
• Kellen grew to size 4t - 5t and has had a HUGE language spurt
• The kids started gymnastics...Kellen is usually too tired in the evening to listen so I'm going to wait a while for him before signing him up again, though.
• I finished my physial therapy for my back and am feeling a LOT better
• The pool is done for the summer. Boo Hoo...
• The kids are too tired at night to do much during the week.
• We got our thermal drapes for the upstairs windows

July 13, 2007: We've Arrived!

That is to say, we are now firmly entrenched in our new home. Our old one is officially sold, so next month begins the first month of only bills for our current home!

The pool is up and running and we're enjoying it very much. The deck is fixed, sealed, and the gate is up and keeping the kids out of there unless we unlock it.

The garage finally has almost enough cleaned out so we can park in it. We've sold some of the miscellaneous stuff we no longer need...the crib, some bike seats. Still lots to sort through and get rid of, but I'm working on it a little at a time.

The house is finally approaching 'guest ready' condition-- We just need some linens, a waterbed mattress for the frame in the basement; a queen sized bed; and of course an extra television for the guest room and we're good to go!

Iris is now riding a two wheeler; getting ready for kindergarten; sleeping in her own room happily. Kellen has adjusted to sleeping on the floor in our room most of the time; he's still having lots of nightmares at night but also is quite happy during the day. His asthma seems to be fading; his allergies appear to be taking the sinus only route. Iris is going to be watched because it appears she might no longer have asthma!

Daddy got his dream recumbent bike and takes the kids to daycare in the bike carrier. Mommy's bike is working but as it turns out still hurts my hands since the carpal tunnel surgery removed the cross supporting bones, so once we pay off the repairs on the house looks like another recumbent is in the works for me.

Life has settled down for us and we're enjoying the beautiful summer in our new home!

December 26, 2006: Christmas Wrap-Up

We had quite the awesome Christmas. We made and the seller accepted an offer for a new house. ...not just any house, but our dream house. Peter and I had looked at this house when we were first married and we weren't anywhere close to being in the position of being able to afford it. Well, now with Peter's decent promotion, my move to an awesome new job and finally getting out of trainee status, plus help from Grandma (may she rest in peace and smile down on us from heaven) we're able to purchase it. We'll be hopefully closing on January 31st.

We began the month with a wonderful snow-day...18+ inches of snow, work called off (Daddy called in twice), so we got to keep the kids home all day with us, let them get in some play time in the all too rare white stuff, and I took the opportunity to decorate the house. Too bad the month doesn't start off like this every year, for every one!

We made cookies and took them to our works, and the daycare. I enjoyed lots of good food at the various Sherman Hall christmas parties, thankfully enough of a spread that I was able to avoid most things I was allergic to unless it was in disguise. The kids got to read lots of Christmas themed books and watch the childrens shows. The also learned to sing Jingle Bells and Rudolph in unison...very cute, by the way, and we should have the mp3s up shortly.

We didn't have time for christmas cards this year, but with all the time I spend on this website hopefully everyone who cares knows what's up with us.

Nov 28, 2006 : Bye-Bye Fall

Hmmm...forgot about this blog. Fall was an especially busy time for us:

• Iris and Kellen were enrolled in gymnastics
• Iris was enrolled in swim lessons
• there were lots of fall family festivals for us to attend
• we tried to take the kids to the park after work as much as possible
• we've been looking for a new house
• I've been working hard to learn what I need to so I can pass my exam on December 4
• I've been reading to Kellen's & Iris's daycare classes, doing puppet shows, and doing music activities
• Iris was working on learning her letters & how to write them
• Kellen learned how to recognize his name in print
• We went to lots of Halloween activities
• We put the kids in their pool as many times as warm weather and bouts of colds, ear infections would allow
• I reorganized our home inside to make more space for the kids to be rambuncious in
• Gave up on our TIVO & our landline to shift our resources into high speed Internet & digital cable with a DVR & the family pack, since we'll be in more during the winter

It was a really warm fall this year and we took the kids for many walks and bike rides.

I still have hope that in the Spring we'll be able to have family bike rides, but we'll work out a way in the spring. We tried to just have the kids do bikes but the broken/absent sidewalks in our neighborhood scared me. However, our new neighborhood should be much better.

Aug 8, 2006 : Bye-Bye Summer

Things we did this summer:

• made it to the Jubilee State Park Ren Faire
• went to the Burlington water park
• did lots of water play in our wading pool
• really enjoyed the Macomb Heritage Days Festival this year
• went yardsaling
• read TONS of books
• reorganized our living space, putting up a rack & counter for the computers and thus freeing up 'play space' in the dining room for the kids

Things I wish the economy would have let us do more of:

• travelling to visit relatives and friends
• going to festivals (just couldn't swing the gas and deal with the heat this year) & carnivals
• having some time for just Peter and me
• seeing a movie
• getting to have a date with my Hubby
• having time off to scrapbook at least a few pages.

Things we didn't do enough of due to heat, illness, or just plain lack of time:

• blowing bubbles
• playing in the backyard
• taking the kids to the park
• letting the kids ride their bikes

No summer's perfect, nor are there perfect parents. I am finding that working full time does mean a lot less time is available to me to get chores done around the house. Rather than taking even more time away from the kids, I'm learning to let the laundry go a little longer, let dishes sit a while so we can instead play with the kids when we get home in the evening...all too soon they won't want to play with us as much, so the house can wait for awhile.

I think we made a lot of happy memories for the summer despite it all.

I am craving time alone with Peter. He and I haven't had a babysitter for the kids since March, so we haven't done anything together except on our 'vacation' days, and since the kids were so sick, we couldn't do anything. At least we got to see one movie. Now that our babysitters have moved away, we'll have to start over looking. Of course, I refuse to pay babysitters less than 6.00 an hour, so we really have to plan our budget. It just isn't right to pay people so little for such an important job. I'd pay 20.00 an hour if I could afford it.

July 3, 2006

I spoke too soon...I've been wiped out for days, as has Peter...and Iris is sick with Strep, and now Kellen has it, so there's not much sleeping going on for us at night between taking care of them. Well, really, it's also hard for me to go back to sleep when I'm awoken a few times.

We're not signing the kids up for anything else this month, so we can reserve the evenings for wading pool time, or park play, or art.

We're gearing up to have a yard sale at the gymnastics center on the 8th to raise money for the baby/tot area. Then, a 50/50 raffle, and hopefully we'll have a good enough turnout to be able to purchase some really cool equipment.

Peter and I both got raises, but our co-pays on our insurance went up too, knocking out the raise, and the cost of our water/sewer/gas, and now our electric, means our bills are going to cost even more each month than our raises. Thanks, US congress...wealthy people who are spending this session in congress on a whole agenda which doesn't benefit us working people at all. Thank God they're working on that gay marriage thingy, though...now THAT really bothers us! (snark).

June 7, 2006

Still chaotic evenings, though less so. Kellen doing great with being a big boy (potty-training). Iris and Kellen started gymnastics again, so they are TIRED at night. Kellen for two days, Iris for four days a week.

No swim lessons this session...maybe in the next few sessions.

May 26, 2006

Our evenings are chaotic again. The kids schedules are in flux and it seems to upset their equilibrium a bit. We'll be glad when the Y starts up again for dance, gymnastics.

Tonight the kids just weren't happy with each other or us. We took a walk in the rain so Iris could calm down, and friend Vicki dropped by making it a real treat.

Then we had 'family game night'...which for us really means playing with toys or game pieces as the kids are still too young for most games. But that doesn't stop them from really enjoying the concept!

But, it's 10:00 and Iris just fell asleep 20 minutes ago! She'll be SOOOO tired tomorrow.

We're going to take the kids to see "over the hedge" sometime before it leaves. They haven't been to a movie since 'Curious George', so they'll really like that.

The do like to play together now sometimes. Often, Iris will go somewhere else in the house and I'll hear Kellen yell 'Wait for Me, Iris!!!'. They have made up several games for both of them;

• the 'help me' game where they take turns 'falling off the mountain' of Iris's bed, the couch, a pile of pillows, then grab arms and 'save' each other
• the 'boat captain' game where they pile on pillows, put on their life jackets, then take turns 'steering' the boat and 'saving' the overboard patron
• the 'baby going on a walk' game where they load up the toy strollers with Iris's dolls then 'go for a walk' all around the house
• the 'construction' game where they load up the trucks with all the small toys they can get their little hands on, push them all over the house, then dump them wherever they feel like it.

I have noticed something interesting. When I clean up while the kids are sleeping, they love the change in the appearance and location of all the house so much they feel compelled to investigate everything and destroy the house all over again in the process.

Somebody please tell me this re-cluttering process will yield us rich rewards as forming a firm foundation in the process of scientific inquiry.

*sigh.

I'm planning two or three fundraisers to raise money for equipment for the baby/tot area. I really want them to get this equipment so I can bring Kellen with me and let Daddy have time for bikeriding at night. If I can raise another 1,500.00, we'll get that equipment! Wish us luck.