Christmas comes to the court
14 years ago
Friday, December 28, 2007
An adventure in Colorado Springs
Today, we took a ride to Colorado Springs. It was so beautiful driving through the foothills and into the mountains. We visited the Garden of the Gods and admired the beautiful red rock formations. Mattea slept through it, but the boys had a blast climbing around on the rocks when we pulled over to take pictures! We stopped at the Cog Railroad Station to see if we could catch the train going up to Pike's Peak. Unfortunately, we missed the last train, so we opted to drive up instead! I suppose our other option would have been to hike, but we weren't quite prepared for that!!! We headed up to the top and were able to travel 13 of the 19 miles up Pike's Peak, but couldn't travel the last 6 due to the snow. The view was absolutely amazing! The mountains are magnificent and there is no way to capture a picture that seems to do it justice!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...
Our wonderful vacation in Denver continues. We woke up Sunday morning and just hung out. It was so nice to be together. Jeff & his parents went out for breakfast and a tour of Denver while I hung out with the kids. Mattea still wasn't feeling 100% and the boys weren't that interested in sitting in a restaurant. Later, Jeff took us downtown to a really cool bowling alley. There were big screen TV's and comfy couches everywhere. There was even a TV above every lane in the bowling alley. It wasn't your average dingy, smoky bowling alley. The kids had a great time! I'm ashamed to say that both of the boys beat my score!!! They had the benefit of using the bumpers. Next time we go, I think I'll ask for them to put the bumpers up for me, too!!!
Later, we were just hanging out at Jeff's apartment singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" when there was a knock at the door. You wouldn't believe who showed up! SANTA CLAUS!!! And he had a BIG bag of presents for us! The kids were spoiled rotten and were very grateful to Santa for everything he brought. Santa even brought me a diamond necklace!!! I guess he was watching this year cuz I was definitely a good girl! : ) It was a magical night!
The next day was Christmas Eve. We had a nice breakfast at the hotel and took the kids swimming. After that, we headed downtown for some shopping. We wandered around for awhile and then stopped at Maggiano's for lunch. Wow... what a lunch! We had family style (a.k.a. - all you can eat!) Italian and it was phenomenal!!! With our bellies full, we shipped Mattea off with Grandma & Grandpa and headed to the movies with the boys. We saw National Treasure - Book of Secrets. We gave it 4 thumbs up!!! Later that night, we played games and hung out at Jeff's apartment. The kids went to sleep dreaming of what Santa would bring the next day. Oh, and did I mention that while we were walking around downtown on December 24th, we weren't wearing jackets because it was 52 degrees?!?!?!? Regardless of how wonderful that felt, we were hoping for a white Christmas.
We woke up on Christmas morning and were happy to see a beautiful snowfall! Ahhhh... a white Christmas! Santa was extremely generous AGAIN and so were Mommy & Daddy. We had fun watching the kids open their gifts and scream with glee! We played for awhile with all of our gifts and then headed over to the hotel for breakfast. Knowing that not much would be open on Christmas Day, we let the kids swim in the pool again and then just hung out in the hotel room.
On December 26th, we had to take care of some domestic chores... laundry!!! Due to all of the yakking on the trip to Denver (and some just toodling around town!) and just everyday use, we opted to catch up on some laundry. I spent a wonderful hour & a half hanging out in the clubhouse at Jeff's apartment complex reading a book while the laundry was being done. I enjoyed the quiet very much!!! By the time that was finished, Pete & Carol had come over to spend the day with us. We headed to a tourist trap called Casa Bonita. It's a Mexican restaurant, but they also provide very unique entertainment - cliff divers, short skit performances, fire jugglers, a cave for the kids to walk through and an arcade. We spent about 3 hours there. Jeff's family had gone there on a Colorado vacation almost 30 years ago, so Pete & Carol had really wanted our kids to experience it as well. Everyone had a great time!!! On our way home, we took a pit stop at City Park and bundled the kids up for a spontaneous romp in the snow! It was all fun until Alex ended up with a face full of snow!
Today, Jeff had to go into work for a half day. We ate breakfast at the hotel and went swimming again. That never seems to get old! We headed to the Cherry Creek Mall for some shopping. The kids found an indoor playground to goof around in while Grandpa & Grandma took a stroll through the mall. We enjoyed pretzels for a snack and then went to Build A Bear. The kids had never been there before. Alex picked out a cheetah and named him Pooku. His accessories include an army helmet and a skateboard. Josh picked out a monkey and named him JoJo. His accessories are a helmet, elbow & knee pads and a skateboard. Mattea picked out a puppy with hearts all over her and named her Indy! She also picked out a beautiful blue princess dress and headband. The kids had a blast!!! Now we are watching Chevy Chase's "Christmas Vacation" - a Christmas classic - we are just getting to it a little late! We are hunkering down at Jeff's apartment while it snows outside. We are expecting 8 inches. It's been very interesting to witness Denver weather while we've been here. It snows one day and it's melting the next day! It's crazy! Anyway, we are having a most wonderful time and we don't want it to end!
Later, we were just hanging out at Jeff's apartment singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" when there was a knock at the door. You wouldn't believe who showed up! SANTA CLAUS!!! And he had a BIG bag of presents for us! The kids were spoiled rotten and were very grateful to Santa for everything he brought. Santa even brought me a diamond necklace!!! I guess he was watching this year cuz I was definitely a good girl! : ) It was a magical night!
The next day was Christmas Eve. We had a nice breakfast at the hotel and took the kids swimming. After that, we headed downtown for some shopping. We wandered around for awhile and then stopped at Maggiano's for lunch. Wow... what a lunch! We had family style (a.k.a. - all you can eat!) Italian and it was phenomenal!!! With our bellies full, we shipped Mattea off with Grandma & Grandpa and headed to the movies with the boys. We saw National Treasure - Book of Secrets. We gave it 4 thumbs up!!! Later that night, we played games and hung out at Jeff's apartment. The kids went to sleep dreaming of what Santa would bring the next day. Oh, and did I mention that while we were walking around downtown on December 24th, we weren't wearing jackets because it was 52 degrees?!?!?!? Regardless of how wonderful that felt, we were hoping for a white Christmas.
We woke up on Christmas morning and were happy to see a beautiful snowfall! Ahhhh... a white Christmas! Santa was extremely generous AGAIN and so were Mommy & Daddy. We had fun watching the kids open their gifts and scream with glee! We played for awhile with all of our gifts and then headed over to the hotel for breakfast. Knowing that not much would be open on Christmas Day, we let the kids swim in the pool again and then just hung out in the hotel room.
On December 26th, we had to take care of some domestic chores... laundry!!! Due to all of the yakking on the trip to Denver (and some just toodling around town!) and just everyday use, we opted to catch up on some laundry. I spent a wonderful hour & a half hanging out in the clubhouse at Jeff's apartment complex reading a book while the laundry was being done. I enjoyed the quiet very much!!! By the time that was finished, Pete & Carol had come over to spend the day with us. We headed to a tourist trap called Casa Bonita. It's a Mexican restaurant, but they also provide very unique entertainment - cliff divers, short skit performances, fire jugglers, a cave for the kids to walk through and an arcade. We spent about 3 hours there. Jeff's family had gone there on a Colorado vacation almost 30 years ago, so Pete & Carol had really wanted our kids to experience it as well. Everyone had a great time!!! On our way home, we took a pit stop at City Park and bundled the kids up for a spontaneous romp in the snow! It was all fun until Alex ended up with a face full of snow!
Today, Jeff had to go into work for a half day. We ate breakfast at the hotel and went swimming again. That never seems to get old! We headed to the Cherry Creek Mall for some shopping. The kids found an indoor playground to goof around in while Grandpa & Grandma took a stroll through the mall. We enjoyed pretzels for a snack and then went to Build A Bear. The kids had never been there before. Alex picked out a cheetah and named him Pooku. His accessories include an army helmet and a skateboard. Josh picked out a monkey and named him JoJo. His accessories are a helmet, elbow & knee pads and a skateboard. Mattea picked out a puppy with hearts all over her and named her Indy! She also picked out a beautiful blue princess dress and headband. The kids had a blast!!! Now we are watching Chevy Chase's "Christmas Vacation" - a Christmas classic - we are just getting to it a little late! We are hunkering down at Jeff's apartment while it snows outside. We are expecting 8 inches. It's been very interesting to witness Denver weather while we've been here. It snows one day and it's melting the next day! It's crazy! Anyway, we are having a most wonderful time and we don't want it to end!
Sunday, December 23, 2007
WE ARE IN DENVER!!!
Pete, Carol, Alex, Josh, Mattea and I left Dubuque at 7:15am on Saturday morning and started our adventure to visit Jeff in Denver for Christmas. The van we rented had ample space for all of our bags, Christmas gifts and whatever else we could fit! We ran into a slight snag about an hour into the trip when Mattea got car sick! (At least that's what we thought at the time.) Josh, with his inquisitive and caring nature, had to check it out and was concerned for his little sister. So, I will let you guess what happened next. Yup! You guessed it... he got sick, too! We made a pit stop at the next gas station and cleaned them both up. They were both troopers and we didn't let it diminish our excitement to get to Denver. Mattea continued to get sick the ENTIRE trip. She slept off and on and I have NEVER heard her so quiet!!!
The boys were phenomenal travelers. We played games, read books and watched movies. They didn't complain when we told them we weren't stopping for lunch for another hour even though they were already hungry. They didn't complain that the van smelled a little stale! (Thank goodness for air fresheners!!!) We had a hotel reservation in North Platte, Nebraska, but cancelled it around 5pm because we decided we just wanted to get to Denver. Since everyone was in good spirits and willing to go the distance, we carried on. Mattea didn't eat or drink much all day, but continued to get sick right up until we pulled up into Jeff's apartment community at about 9:55pm.
Jeff was thrilled to see all of us! We carried our stuff up THREE flights of stairs to his apartment. He had gone shopping and had blankets, pillows and an inflatable mattress ready for our slumber party! Pete & Carol stayed in Jeff's bed and the rest of us had a slumber party in the living room. It was so great for us to be together!!!
The boys were phenomenal travelers. We played games, read books and watched movies. They didn't complain when we told them we weren't stopping for lunch for another hour even though they were already hungry. They didn't complain that the van smelled a little stale! (Thank goodness for air fresheners!!!) We had a hotel reservation in North Platte, Nebraska, but cancelled it around 5pm because we decided we just wanted to get to Denver. Since everyone was in good spirits and willing to go the distance, we carried on. Mattea didn't eat or drink much all day, but continued to get sick right up until we pulled up into Jeff's apartment community at about 9:55pm.
Jeff was thrilled to see all of us! We carried our stuff up THREE flights of stairs to his apartment. He had gone shopping and had blankets, pillows and an inflatable mattress ready for our slumber party! Pete & Carol stayed in Jeff's bed and the rest of us had a slumber party in the living room. It was so great for us to be together!!!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
My charming & delightful children
I took the kids to Texas Roadhouse for dinner tonight. Honestly, it was Josh's idea! Of course, the reason he likes it is due to the fact that he can throw peanut shells on the floor. I mean, seriously, how cool is that??? I wasn't going to take the kids there, but the more I got thinking about it, the more logical it became. I justified it for the reason that I needed to pick up a gift card, so why not just grab dinner while we're there? I certainly deserve a nice meal that I didn't have to cook, right???
We had to wait about 10 minutes to get in, so Mattea was holding the what-cha-ma-call-it that lights up and vibrates when your table is ready. Once it finally did that, she was showing EVERYONE how cool it was! This group of old ladies thought she was so cute!
We were seated at our table and our waitress greeted us. She was a cute, young girl with a spunky attitude. She plopped right down next to Joshie to take our order. Even though, she was very busy, she joked with the kids while taking our order. The boys ordered their meal and then Mattea chimed in. "I want a brownie!" So, Sarah (our waitress) went back & forth with her about that. The rest of the meal was relatively uneventful. The kids were pretty good and only needed an occasional "Sit up. If you are so tired that you need to lay down on the booth, then you can go to bed when we get home." Sarah came back to check on us often and always took time to talk to the kids. Almost every time, she commented on how cute and adorable they were. I graciously accepted the compliments!
We finished our meal and got our bill. I gave Sarah a very nice well-deserved tip. She came back one more time and whispered to me that we needed to wait a minute... she had something for us. Oh, did she have something for us!!! She delivered a very wonderful, very chocolate brownie with four spoons sticking out of it! Apparently, Sarah wanted to make Mattea a very happy girl. Mattea gave her the reaction she was looking for... kind of a deep belly laugh like "Yeah, baby!!!" Alex & I each had one bite and were done. Josh and Mattea, on the other hand, went to town on that brownie! They were in heaven!!!
After our bellies were completely full, it was time to go. Sarah came back one last time to make sure we had enjoyed the brownie. We got to chatting about how she loves kids and she mentioned that I could call her anytime if I needed a babysitter. Um... hello! You don't have to ask this single-parenting-multi-tasking-ain't-got-no-time-for-myself Momma twice!!!! YES - PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR NUMBER!!! So, she did. Ahhhhh... I like to have options! It was a good ending to a great meal. I feel like we were there for a reason... like it was a sign.
It definitely worked out. Adorable kids = lots of attention. Gotta love it!!!
We had to wait about 10 minutes to get in, so Mattea was holding the what-cha-ma-call-it that lights up and vibrates when your table is ready. Once it finally did that, she was showing EVERYONE how cool it was! This group of old ladies thought she was so cute!
We were seated at our table and our waitress greeted us. She was a cute, young girl with a spunky attitude. She plopped right down next to Joshie to take our order. Even though, she was very busy, she joked with the kids while taking our order. The boys ordered their meal and then Mattea chimed in. "I want a brownie!" So, Sarah (our waitress) went back & forth with her about that. The rest of the meal was relatively uneventful. The kids were pretty good and only needed an occasional "Sit up. If you are so tired that you need to lay down on the booth, then you can go to bed when we get home." Sarah came back to check on us often and always took time to talk to the kids. Almost every time, she commented on how cute and adorable they were. I graciously accepted the compliments!
We finished our meal and got our bill. I gave Sarah a very nice well-deserved tip. She came back one more time and whispered to me that we needed to wait a minute... she had something for us. Oh, did she have something for us!!! She delivered a very wonderful, very chocolate brownie with four spoons sticking out of it! Apparently, Sarah wanted to make Mattea a very happy girl. Mattea gave her the reaction she was looking for... kind of a deep belly laugh like "Yeah, baby!!!" Alex & I each had one bite and were done. Josh and Mattea, on the other hand, went to town on that brownie! They were in heaven!!!
After our bellies were completely full, it was time to go. Sarah came back one last time to make sure we had enjoyed the brownie. We got to chatting about how she loves kids and she mentioned that I could call her anytime if I needed a babysitter. Um... hello! You don't have to ask this single-parenting-multi-tasking-ain't-got-no-time-for-myself Momma twice!!!! YES - PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR NUMBER!!! So, she did. Ahhhhh... I like to have options! It was a good ending to a great meal. I feel like we were there for a reason... like it was a sign.
It definitely worked out. Adorable kids = lots of attention. Gotta love it!!!
Monday, December 17, 2007
Just a few more days...
... until my wonderful Mom comes down again to help me tackle my never-ending project list!!!
... until our home appraisal!!!
... until we leave for Denver to celebrate Christmas with Jeff!!!
My super duper parents braved the winter weather on Sunday and came down to help me with some house projects. Mom spent the day doting on the kids and fixing us a FANTASTIC lunch!! Dad spent the day helping me in the basement. Jon Meeks also donated his day to helping finish up my to-do list. We made a TON of progress and I was very pleased with what we got accomplished. As if that wasn't enough, my wonderful Mom is heading back down here on Thursday to do anything else she can to help. It's so great to be surrounded by such special people!
The kids are counting down the days until we leave for Colorado (or Colowado - as Mattea calls it!). They are ecstatic about spending time with their Daddy... and for more than just a weekend this time! Jeff is still trying to coordinate some plans for us while we are there. He's working his connections to get us a condo in the mountains for Christmas Eve through the day after Christmas. While we are in Colorado, we plan on taking the boys snowboarding, going to Build-A-Bear (shhhh! that one's a secret!), hitting the Children's Museum, taking in a movie and just spending time together. We are all looking forward to it. Please think happy thoughts for safe travels and nice weather!
I woke up Sunday morning with body aches, a cough and feeling generally miserable. I've been going non-stop, so I'm sure my body hasn't had the time to recuperate from my last cold which was only a week ago. On that note... I'm heading to bed!
In case I get busy packing for Denver and finishing projects, I will wish you a very Merry Christmas now! Happy Holidays!!!
... until our home appraisal!!!
... until we leave for Denver to celebrate Christmas with Jeff!!!
My super duper parents braved the winter weather on Sunday and came down to help me with some house projects. Mom spent the day doting on the kids and fixing us a FANTASTIC lunch!! Dad spent the day helping me in the basement. Jon Meeks also donated his day to helping finish up my to-do list. We made a TON of progress and I was very pleased with what we got accomplished. As if that wasn't enough, my wonderful Mom is heading back down here on Thursday to do anything else she can to help. It's so great to be surrounded by such special people!
The kids are counting down the days until we leave for Colorado (or Colowado - as Mattea calls it!). They are ecstatic about spending time with their Daddy... and for more than just a weekend this time! Jeff is still trying to coordinate some plans for us while we are there. He's working his connections to get us a condo in the mountains for Christmas Eve through the day after Christmas. While we are in Colorado, we plan on taking the boys snowboarding, going to Build-A-Bear (shhhh! that one's a secret!), hitting the Children's Museum, taking in a movie and just spending time together. We are all looking forward to it. Please think happy thoughts for safe travels and nice weather!
I woke up Sunday morning with body aches, a cough and feeling generally miserable. I've been going non-stop, so I'm sure my body hasn't had the time to recuperate from my last cold which was only a week ago. On that note... I'm heading to bed!
In case I get busy packing for Denver and finishing projects, I will wish you a very Merry Christmas now! Happy Holidays!!!
Friday, December 14, 2007
IS IT FRIDAY YET???????
Holy cow... it seems like it was a LONG week! I'm so glad it's Friday - these 5 day work weeks are a killer! I just got back from the grocery store. Luckily, I was smart enough to feed the kids first or it could have gotten ugly! Just picture this, though. Josh had chapped lips and a headache, so he was laying down in one cart on all of our coats. Mattea & Alex were squeezed into the front of the cart that has the 2 steering wheels and I was dangerously navigating both of them! It was pure craziness... however, I have never made it through the grocery store so quickly and so cheaply!!! Hurray!!!
We are looking forward to spending the day tomorrow at Kevin & Julie's for a pre-Christmas celebration. This is the 3rd pre-celebration we've had lately. First, there was a combined pre-Mattea's birthday party and pre-Thanksgiving celebration. Now, we've got a pre-Christmas celebration. It actually works out well because the pre-celebrations are followed by additional celebrations, so I guess that makes it TWICE the fun!!! I am also looking forward to spending time in a house where there are Christmas decorations. We kept the decorating to a minimum this year and I am starting to miss the twinkling lights on a decorated Christmas tree, snowmen pictures on the walls and the sounds of those annoying musical toys that we set out this time of year! Julie was kind enough to bring over a poinsettia she had received from one of her Religious Ed students, so that added to our wee-bit of Christmas spirit.
My wonderful parents are coming down on Sunday to spend some time with us before we head to Denver for Christmas break. Everyone has been so accommodating with our crazy schedule and we are so appreciative. We are sad that Jeff hasn't been able to celebrate with us, but we are very much looking forward to driving out to Denver to spend Christmas with him.
We are very, very close to getting our house on the market. I have a few things that I hope to finish up on Sunday and I have an appraisal scheduled for next Thursday. The house has never looked so darn good! It's been a lot of work and I hope it pays off. Again, thanks to everyone that has helped us in any way!
Okay, I better go make snacks for tomorrow. I'm outta here!!!
We are looking forward to spending the day tomorrow at Kevin & Julie's for a pre-Christmas celebration. This is the 3rd pre-celebration we've had lately. First, there was a combined pre-Mattea's birthday party and pre-Thanksgiving celebration. Now, we've got a pre-Christmas celebration. It actually works out well because the pre-celebrations are followed by additional celebrations, so I guess that makes it TWICE the fun!!! I am also looking forward to spending time in a house where there are Christmas decorations. We kept the decorating to a minimum this year and I am starting to miss the twinkling lights on a decorated Christmas tree, snowmen pictures on the walls and the sounds of those annoying musical toys that we set out this time of year! Julie was kind enough to bring over a poinsettia she had received from one of her Religious Ed students, so that added to our wee-bit of Christmas spirit.
My wonderful parents are coming down on Sunday to spend some time with us before we head to Denver for Christmas break. Everyone has been so accommodating with our crazy schedule and we are so appreciative. We are sad that Jeff hasn't been able to celebrate with us, but we are very much looking forward to driving out to Denver to spend Christmas with him.
We are very, very close to getting our house on the market. I have a few things that I hope to finish up on Sunday and I have an appraisal scheduled for next Thursday. The house has never looked so darn good! It's been a lot of work and I hope it pays off. Again, thanks to everyone that has helped us in any way!
Okay, I better go make snacks for tomorrow. I'm outta here!!!
Monday, December 10, 2007
A fun weekend with Daddy
Jeff called Wednesday morning to let us know that he was going to come home for the weekend. We were soooooooooooo excited! It had been almost a month since we had seen him and we were all missing him very much. I'm sure he was homesick as well. Seeing him on the web cam is better than just talking on the phone, but seeing him in person was what we all needed!
Jeff's plane was scheduled to arrive in Moline around 11:30pm on Friday night, but was delayed and arrived about 12:30pm instead. When the kids woke up on Saturday morning, they all came running into our room to give Jeff BIG hugs and LOTS of kisses! They were thrilled to see him. We had a very laid back weekend and just enjoyed each other's company. Jeff's plane left this afternoon as scheduled and he is safely back in Denver. We are counting down the days (12) until we head west to spend Christmas with Daddy!!!!
Jeff's plane was scheduled to arrive in Moline around 11:30pm on Friday night, but was delayed and arrived about 12:30pm instead. When the kids woke up on Saturday morning, they all came running into our room to give Jeff BIG hugs and LOTS of kisses! They were thrilled to see him. We had a very laid back weekend and just enjoyed each other's company. Jeff's plane left this afternoon as scheduled and he is safely back in Denver. We are counting down the days (12) until we head west to spend Christmas with Daddy!!!!
Monday, December 3, 2007
The bar for our basement
So, I bought a bar online for our basement. Well, it came in a large and heavy box with MANY pieces. After following the wonderful instructions (note the sarcasm), it went from this...
Joshie's Question of the Day
I was talking to Jeff tonight and telling him stories of our day. I told him about a question that Josh asked me today. I jokingly told him that I should start posing Joshie's question of the day on this blog. He took me seriously and thought it was a great idea! Josh does come up with some very interesting questions like yesterday's about cheese.
He didn't fail me today, either. His question came up while we were watching Christmas movies. Here it is... the question of the day... "Mom, is God everyone's Father? Cuz that would mean that you're my sister."
Have a great night!
Tracy
P.S. I'll be posting my pictures of the bar shortly.
He didn't fail me today, either. His question came up while we were watching Christmas movies. Here it is... the question of the day... "Mom, is God everyone's Father? Cuz that would mean that you're my sister."
Have a great night!
Tracy
P.S. I'll be posting my pictures of the bar shortly.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
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.
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.
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