The weekend

For anyone that talked to me this weekend, I apologize!!! I probably unloaded on you. I am laying here on the couch enjoying the silence. It was a very busy weekend and I got a lot done. No, the house still is not up for sale. Several small basement projects still remain. I have learned that I am not good with assembly (I had to redo several steps in my bar assembly - pictures to follow after I download them) nor am I good with caulk (although I don't know many people that are!).

Jon Meeks came over to help this weekend. He was a godsend. He worked on the trim in the basement bathroom. We haven't given him an easy job as not many of our walls or handiwork are perfectly straight! He just smiles and works hard never making negative comments. I'm so grateful for his help. Our neighbor, Grant, has helped us on this basement project from the start. It's amazing he still continues to help since we are deserting him!!! But, he wouldn't have it any other way. He finishes what he starts.

Aunt Julie popped over Saturday morning to check in. She was surprised to find me sucking up water in the basement. Alex accidentally used a hose on the deck and we had a small flood! He felt terrible and helped with the clean-up.

I feel so blessed with the amount of people that offer their help to us whether it be physical labor, helping with the kids or just listening when I need to vent! It is nice to have someone to turn to when I need it. The kids would have preferred a lot more of my attention this weekend than they got and maybe that is why they were mischievous!!! We watched Christmas shows and played board games Friday night. I let them know that I would be working in the basement on Saturday and they would need to behave. I think they had forgotten that by Saturday afternoon. The bar that I ordered online came in a box packed with styrofoam, of course. Well, once all of the pieces for the bar were out of the box, the styrofoam became fair game. I couldn't get it cleaned up fast enough, so we had a small issue with a LOT of tiny styrofoam balls all over the basement. There was some karate chopping involved!

Mattea has been a stinker at bedtime and has lots of excuses for not going to bed. So, today her punishment was no chocolate milk. I thought that was quite creative! It actually made my life much easier because she goes through WAY less water than she does chocolate milk. It's my new favorite threat!!! Since her birthday, she continues to wear her dress-up clothes on a daily basis. She rotates between Sleeping Beauty, a mermaid and her "pickle" costume. I remember Josh wearing costumes for what seemed like years! Oh wait... he hasn't stopped yet! It's very scary, though, when Mattea makes him dress up in one of HERS!!!

Josh has such an inquisitive mind. I have been watching him lately and he's very interested in numbers. He was looking at Alex's checkerboard very intently. I looked at him and saw him mouthing 1...2...3. I didn't say anything. Of course, Alex noticed him near his checkerboard so he HAD to come take it away. After he did that, I said "So, Josh. How many squares were on the board?" He replied, "64". He's been walking around all weekend with a measuring tape, too. He cracks me up. Today, he asked a question and it made me laugh. Of course, I had no answer. Here it is... "Mom, how did cheese get invented?" You should have seen him the day the plumber came over to fix the toilet. Oh, the questions he had for HIM!!!

Alex amazes me with his sense of accountability and responsibility. I was busy working in the basement and Alex came down all worried. "Mom, I have to read." He has 20 minutes of required reading per day and he hadn't done it yet. When I came upstairs after finishing my work in the basement, he was finishing up reading a book to Mattea. Ha... killed 2 birds with 1 stone!!! He hunts me down wherever I am to get me to sign his reading and math logs and his planner. Those are daily requirements and he is adamant about getting them signed. He has been a great help around the house since Jeff has been gone.

Jeff's job has been challenging. He is working insanely long days and probably isn't eating very well. He doesn't seem to make time to stop for lunch and he is typically eating dinner when we skype him at night which is usually after 8:00pm. He is missing the kids desperately. He went to the parade of lights or some Christmas lighting ceremony and came home very sad. He said it was very hard to be at something like that without the kids. We are counting the days until we get to spend time with him again. (20... if you're interested!!!)

I need to get to bed. My only alone/regroup/relax/sane time is late at night after the kids are in bed. It makes for some shorter nights, but I need it. This single parenting is for the birds. I commend anyone that is able to do it. I can't wait until we are all together in Colorado.