We've gotten our annual visit from the Big-Headed Scarecrow family and guess what, Big-Head has decided to run for president. I think he got the idea from all the blue election signs in our neighborhood; pretty much every lawn has one. That is; except for ours...we have a WHITE sign!
Here's another view.
My brother asked me if the scarecrow is liberal and I'd have to say yes; you can see that he's leaning to the left here in the picture.
In other news, the milk-jug igloo is no more.
I'm working on updating Flickr with pictures from the end of summer and this fall. We've been busy - birthdays, new bicycles; missing teeth and visitors so take a look. Happy Halloween Everyone!
And the boys kinda like it too.
Here they are; dressed in their super-hero finest.
The most recent thing to have happen (just now actually) is that Nathaniel lost a tooth...his front, bottom one. He was sneaking a cookie that was evidently a bit stale and the tooth came out. He won't let me take a picture of him and he didn't want me to tell anyone. So, keep this news to yourself...you didn't hear it from me.
The boys have been in church camp this week and are pretty wiped out. Those Presbyterians sure know how to throw a church camp. Yesterday, when I went to pick them up there was a fire engine in the parking lot hosing all the kids off. Of course, I forgot to take the camera.
Are you wondering how our igloo is coming along? All I can say is that it's a good thing we don't build igloos for a living because we are not very good at it. I underestimated the effect that 90 plus degree Missouri heat would have on the glue that's holding the whole thing together. I also underestimated how many milk jugs we would need. At one point our garage attic was full of them and I was sure we had plenty but we ran out. But we're going through three to four gallons a week so we're building up our supply again.
Doesn't it look like it's going to fall in at any minute? Here's a view from the top.
Oh well, maybe we'll be done by Halloween.
The other big news that I'm actually permitted to tell is the boys can now ride a bike without training wheels. The other night they were outside playing with Paul when Nathaniel came running in yelling...come see what Gregory can do. When I went outside, Gregory was riding the neighbor's bike in circles and going pretty fast. This bike is a girl's bike and just a little bit smaller than their bikes. I guess that made the difference.
First, Gregory...
Then Nathaniel. Of course, Gregory contends that he can ride faster.
While downloading photos, we discovered some interesting, random shots of the inside of our pantry. Hmm, wonder how THAT happened?
I won't make you look at all the pantry shots. There are a few new pictures on Flickr from June. I am going to go review July pictures right now then I need to research how much the tooth fairy is forking out these days.
Oh...school starts August 19th.....YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We've been busy with vacation bible school, swimming lessons (big, big hit) and tumbling classes (not such a big hit but it's growing on them). We bought a season pass to the city pool and have managed to get burned pretty bad already. We are now proud owners of two SPF 50 swim shirts and an old lady straw hat and many, many pool toys. We are also making use of various memberships that we've always felt the need to own but never really used. We've gone to the local children's museum a lot...I'm rather sick of it myself. Oh and we went on a field trip with Nathaniel's old preschool class to the transportation museum. The boys had been really looking forward to it but as soon as we saw the class, two of us got extremely shy all of a sudden. I don't think we ever really talked to any of the class.
A friend of mine recently retired from ma bell too and we've been discussing which is worse; being at home with two five-year old boys or a 14-year old girl. Close call. Somehow we need to get the 14-year old girl to take care of the two five-year olds and the two of us can go have a nice lunch somewhere.
Here's how our summer project is coming -
Now that I'm retired, I have more time to read the paper (well supposedly, I seem to be spending most of my time during laundry). Anyway, one of our favorite items in the little local paper is the police report. This is an item taken from a recent issue - word for word.
A resident of the 100 block of Cornelia Avenue reported at 5:32 p.m. May 1 persons unknown moved a piece of lawn furniture from her rear yard to the east side of her house without her permission or knowledge. She was unsure how long the furniture had been moved.
A crime wave.
Can you tell? Can you pick out just by looking at these pictures which boy gives me more grief? Which child wakes me up at 3:00 a.m. just to tell me he's bored. The child that recently and repeatedly announced that he was a genius. The child that instead of saying I need to go to the bathroom, says I need to go Eurasia (he meant urinate - we have his father to thank for that word).
What, you're not sure? Maybe now.
Go ahead, guess.
Well, I meant to start keeping this updated with the new year. You can see how well I’m meeting that resolution; about the same as the rest. It’s been a long, dreary winter and we are ready for spring. We’ve had one visit to the ER (nothing serious but it took 12 hours to determine that), an ear infection, walking pneumonia, bronchitis, pleurisy and too many colds to count. We’ve all had to go to the doctor at least once except for Paul and that’s only because he refused to go; he’s been as sick as the rest of us. We’ve had so much bad news about friends and family that for a week there, we avoided answering the phone in fear of what else might have happened. But spring is coming and we are doing better. AND for those of you that I haven’t talked too recently I am officially retiring from AT&T, May 1st. Yes, after a mere 29 years I am retiring. To say I am looking forward to it is an understatement. We are pulling the boys out of their preschool for the summer (I can’t really justify paying for full-time care when I’m not working, believe me I’ve tried). This fall they will be start heading off to kindergarten every morning on a bus full of other kindergartners. I will be joining the ranks of the SAHMs and will probably become a pretty permanent fixture at their school. Who knows maybe I’ll become a soccer mom too.
The latest pictures are on Flickr. You can get to them using the link over to the right side of the page.
Actually, these pictures are a bit old too. We spent Thanksgiving in Kansas with my family and Christmas in Indiana with Paul’s family. Paul and the boys also made a quick trip to Indy over President’s weekend. As you can tell in the pictures, we’ve had a lot of snow to play in.
That’s pretty much it for news.
I’ve been collecting various bits of conversation with the boys over the last year or so. Thought you might enjoy them.
July 07- Gregory – Field trips are my favorite thing in the whole world.
Aug 07- Me – Where does cheese come from? Gregory – Cheese Factories.
Aug 07- Nathaniel – …back when Daddy used to be a farmer.
(I never knew Paul used to be a farmer, live and learn)
Oct 07- When discussing goody bags for their upcoming birthday -
Gregory – We need Princess goody bags for the gurlz and Batman for
the boys.
Me – Don’t girls like Batman?
Gregory - No, Batman kills gurlz.
(I had no idea)
Oct 07- Paul – An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Do you know what that
means?
Nathaniel – It means the doctor is 'lergic to apples.
Oct 07- Picture taking day at school
Paul to Nathaniel – Did you get your picture taken with Gregory today?
Nathaniel – Ohhhh, that’s who that was. I just thought it was some kid in a
red shirt.
Oct 07- Nathaniel – Mommy, don’t you know that I’m an expert on the ocean?
(We actually hear this phrase a lot! The boy’s not lacking in self
esteem).
Dec 07- After a party at school
Nathaniel – Why, It’s a regular hoe-down!
(When the last time you’ve been to a hoe-down?)
Dec 07- After Paul asked how Santa knew who was naughty and who was nice
Gregory - God made Santa first.
(I’m thinking they haven’t cover Genesis yet in Sunday School).
Dec 07- We went out and left the boys with a sitter. It was our Christmas Eve and
we told them that Santa wouldn’t come until they were asleep. At 6:30, I
checked in with the sitter. She said that they've been begging to go to bed
since 5:30.
Feb 08- After I told him that I wouldn’t read him a book because they took too much
time getting ready for bed.
Gregory - I know how to read a book but my teacher told me to keep it a
secret.
(I must have a chat with that teacher)
Feb 08- After seeing a picture of Paul’s father at his mother’s house. His father
passed away in the 1980’s.
Nathaniel - I miss Grandpa Roy.
Feb 08- Nathaniel - This is my favorite blankee. I will never live without it.
(Actually, it’s in tatters and I don’t expect it hang together much longer).
Feb 08- Nathaniel - [Belch] Some milk started to come out but I ketched it and it’s
going back down.
Feb 08- After seeing something left on the floor (a common occurrence)
Nathaniel - Who DARES to leave this out.
