Forever Home Photos - The Living Room

The before photos have been lightened to show detail. It was actually quite a bit darker in there. The wall between the kitchen and living room came down, and that's now where the island is located. The changes opened the place quite nicely, but they also hogged out a lot of the actual "living room space". Then, in addition to moving the "dining room" into the other end of this room (it was originally one long stretch of living room, and the original dining room was what will one day be our school room/reading nook - it's the last room left to do), that left us with a very tiny space for a living room. That's when we started hearing voices, but that's another post.

This is the room as it appeared when we first looked at it. The long, scary hallway is to the left (that door's gone now, and it's just a hallway again). The kitchen/laundry space is to the right, on the other side of the built-in bookcase. That door against the back wall leads to steps that pretend to lead down to the back yard.


A basic shot from the entry, looking in. On the other side of that wall is the kitchen and the washer/dryer set up.


This wall came down pretty easily...


But then there was "the wall of fear", which also, incidentally, came down easily. But it wasn't such a warm and fuzzy feeling when it did. This is the back, exterior wall. The one that sits there, looking so innocent and solid in the first shot. We pulled the paneling and found this:


That is exterior brick peeking through, my friends! There's nothing there but snake sheds and a few unfortunate squirrel remains. Oh, and an old fireplace. (Remember the stove in the basement with the myriad pipes? They led to what was left of this chimney!)And just in case you need a closer look...


We rebuilt the wall, framing it out and jamming it into place. (See the pretty, new white wall there, on the right?) Then, since it was December and as you can see, there was no insulation, we brought up and installed the behemoth stove. The living room stayed like this for quite some time:


This is what nesting looks like when you're renovating. It's not a pretty sight, I know. But if you wanted to know how easy it is to texture walls, well, there ya go.


And now, the living room is about 85% finished.

The space above the back door will be trimmed with a rough hewn board, to give it a litle architectural interest, as well as delineating the change in "spaces": kitchen, living, dining. (We'll mirror that on the opposide doorway leading into the hall.) The door, painted. Eventually it'll be removed, and that opening will be widened to extend into a family room. The space is much easier to use now, and it acts as wonderful overflow seating when the kitchen fills up.

And this one, taken from the entry again. Look, Ma - No Wall! The picture's a bit fuzzy, but you can see the finished paint on the kitchen window. What a difference nice trim makes! Yes, it's frustrating, and yes, I will be complaining about it again in the near future. But when all is said and done, it is worth the effort.


Still a lot of work to do, but it's come a long way toward feeling like Home. Hopefully, I will be able to get the bedroom before and after shots posted before the end of the month. And someday, when we're old and decrepit, we may get to working on the exterior of the place!

Thanks for taking a look!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Dining Room Photographs

Well, here it is, the dining room. This is, perhaps, my favorite room. Not that I'm knocking the bath, which was our first encouraging hint that we would not, contrary to our most terrifying nightmares, still be living in a half-baked shack for the rest of our natural lives. I still love the bath. But I really like my spring-grass green walls in the dining room now. It's about as far from the color of mold as you can get and still be green. This is the abridged version of the visuals, mostly because it's late and I haven't the mental integrity to come up with captions for all of the images that belong to this montage. (That, and I just don't want to relive it right now. I hope you understand.)

So, without further ado, I give you The Dining Room:
This was what it looked like when we bought it. Remember, that carpet is supposed to be platinum white, not, as mere visual input would indicate, taupe. Ew. Low ceilings - not much we can do about those. Light-sucking holes there at the end. And you can't see it in this photo, but everything was fuzzy and the smell - if I could somehow get the smell put into a scratch-n-sniff sticker and sent out for everyone to use as they read. Well, I wouldn't. That's just wrong.

And yet, we fell in love with the place... it still boggles the mind. So, we took to gutting it while the weather was still nice enough to keep the children outside. Here it is, as we rip out the walls.

And here, with the source of the smell, all piled up into one stench-filled pile. Have I mentioned that I hate carpet? I mean, I really, really hate carpet. At least, now I do.

I think it was about mid-November that we had the new subfloor in and Zorak found the table. We could allow the children inside the home, now. (Note how incredibly brown Smidge is, there in the middle. That's what happens when you live outside for two months. James is not brown because you must have pigmentation in order to turn brown and he, evidently, has none.) However, everybody can eat inside now! Yippee!

And then, *poof*, *poof*, *poof*, two Federal holidays and one additional child later, we finally have the dining room relatively finished. Still lacking a floor, trim, and a little detail work. But just look at the difference the paint made on those windows! (Imagine what they'll look like when I get around to cleaning the storm windows and screens.) This shot was taken from about the same place as the first image.

This next image is a slightly closer shot, to show off the two little photo-helpers who helped out. Also, to point out that when the dining table and that corner hutch are refinished, they'll be close to the same color as the curtain rod. (Zorak wants me to mention that he does know the rod needs to be trimmed, but that zany wife of his was literally jonesing to hang the curtains now-now-now when he brought the rod home. I've mentioned it.) Also, I'd like to mention that John dressed himself, and I had nothing to do with the sock selection for today. Thank you.


I'll post the living room shots in a separate post. It's late and I have a TON of sleep to catch up on. One of the wonderful things about photographs is that they can help you regain your perspective, and remember what you've done, and why. I think this is true of many things: loved ones, favorite places, and special times; the things and parts of our lives. There is so much beauty to soak up in each area of our lives, but sometimes we need a little reminder about the things that are beautiful. The things that motivate us. The progress we've made, and the growth we've experienced. So while the paint and the drywall and the safe wiring is one thing, I've got to say that this last picture is a better descriptor of what motivates us and makes us smile.



Kiss those babies! And thank you for sharing our Forever Home adventure with us.

~Dy

Well, goodness.

I owe someone a "Thank You", but I don't know who!

Have y'all seen the Blogs of Beauty Awards? I've seen the logo around. You know, on other people's blogs. Very lovely, and pretty. They are like gentle paintings, or nice wall sconces - something I'd love to use to adorn my home (virtual or otherwise). But with the construction dust, the herding of cats, the mental exhaustion and the occasional drizzling sarcasm, (not to mention the fact that I don't think I've ever posted anything that really called for accompanying Scripture), I felt very confident that it would take, oh, someone else doing my blogging for me before Classic Adventures was ever mentioned in those circles. Well, then tonight I saw two links over here from over there. Hmmm, being the naturally curious creature I am, I popped over to see how on earth anyone could get here from there.

And there it was! Classic Adventures, nominated for best encourager (general) and best meet for a mocha. I didn't win in either category. Wasn't even a finalist. (The winners are some truly fine bloggers, by the way, and there are a number of great blogs in general. I found the site two hours ago and just got done cruising about!) But what a sweet delight to find our little spot mentioned.

So, to whomever nominated Classic Adventures, thank you! I'm glad you are encouraged here. (I also think it's totally cool that someone would like to meet me for a mocha! How'd you know I like chocolate? Or was it the caffeine?) And I do have one niggling little question - how'd you filter out the Nicene Creed thing? I can't remember mentioning it here, ever, and of course my latest reference to church included referring to our elders as the Spanish Inquisition (which is totally tongue in cheek - our elders are awesome, wonderful men!) Either way, thank you. I don't know who you are, but I hope you see this. You really made me smile this evening.

~Dy

And now, it is quiet...

I've got lesson plans set for the morning, then we'll break for some play and exploration time. When it gets hot out, we'll come in and pay homage to this:


The late morning is targeted for a thorough cleaning and sorting on the house. I'm tempted to do something like this:

But we've worked so hard, that it seems a bit rash. *grin* So, instead we'll just put things back in order and get moving again. Ward's bedroom needs texturing and priming, the cabinets need to be put back in order, and that poor little linen closet is patiently awaiting a final coat of paint. Should be a productive day, in all.

Oh, we should probably work on the deck, too...

Ignoring the paneling along the rail (the posts are too far apart to prevent certain toddlers from attempting an aerial assault on the drive below), that limb just didn't do the deck any favors when it performed a triple-axle with a half twist from the top of a tree. I think that's the next project, hopefully this weekend. But it could use some cleaning and prep work first.

Granny and the rest of the gang headed out this morning. They left shortly after the children and I left for church. That seemed to soften the blow a bit for the boys - all the hugs and kisses were shared, and then, before anyone had a chance to really start crying, it was hustle-hustle-hustle into the Suburban and off to Sunday School, which is always a treat. By the time we returned home, there was lunch to be made, adventures to be had, and a trip into town to see friends.

Now, it's quiet. A slightly lonely quiet, but honestly, I think I'm ready. A little routine. A little normalcy. Vacation is wonderful, but I don't think I have the energy to live on Vacation Time all the time. The boys were in bed by nine-fifteen and out cold by nine-thirty, a full hour and a half earlier than any night the last two weeks. Funny how they didn't fight it, either. I think they had a glorious time, but don't think they'll fret much over getting back to our Normal Time. (I misplaced the camera the last few days of the trip, so no photos until somebody takes pity on me and uploads from their cameras.)

And on that note, it's time to hit the hay. Sunup will come far too early, but I've got to get a jump start on the morning before the boys are up!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Um, hi!

It's almost noon, and I've not had nearly enough coffee just yet, so this may be a bit disjointed.

Zorak and his brother spent the night on the boat the other night. They moored halfway between the bank and the channel (thus avoiding the unpleasant event of being awoken by a barge slamming into the boat at five in the morning, yet still getting far enough off the bank to avoid a good portion of the 'skeeters.) The next morning's run was hectic, but everybody loaded onto the boat with muffins and jams and strawberry cider for breakfast while Zorak drove me into town to the dentist.

Ow. I completely underestimated a tooth removal. Somehow, I'd had it in my head that it was similar to a root canal. Funny, funny Dy. Um, no. But all went well and I've got to go see another torture professional next week for the replacement parts. The swelling should go down someday, and thanks to Miss Emily's diet, the narcotics offered to me weren't an option. Tempting, but still not an option. We went back to the ramp and met the boat around noon. I laid down and slept peacefully to the rythmic thump and thud of small children leaping from port to starboard. Once in a while, I had to scootch about a bit to get my head back out of the sun, but that's not bad. Life on a houseboat sounds rather appealing...

Mid-afternoon, we pulled into a neat little cove, where everyone swam and explored. Zorak cooked up a pile of various things on sticks, and everybody ate their fill. By five o'clock, the palest folks had tested the outer limits of the 40SPF sunscreen, the smallest folks had run off their energy reserves, and the older folks, well, we were just plain pooped. So we docked the boat and came home for showers and... and I don't know what everyone else did, but Miss Emily and I passed out around six-thirty.

Since we pretty well fried the girls yesterday, and would like to avoid their mother's wrath as much as possible, we decided they'd best not to go swimming today. So, everybody's going to see the latest Jack Sparrow flick this afternoon. I wanna go, too, but somebody needs to stay with the wee ones. Smidge, Miss Emily and I are going to go visiting with friends and relax a bit in the relative quiet.

Should be good stuff.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Hey, it's a 2AM blogging!

We're having a fantastic time with our company. Particularly, I believe, when you consider the mind-boggling logistics of navigating around the schedules, preferences, and communication patterns of eleven people. We're doin' pretty well.

I really love blogging in the middle of the night. The house is quiet, the children aren't being neglected in order to gain computer time, and the coffee pot is mine, all mine! (That, and I have some strange disorder that will not allow me to just turn the pot off and go. to. bed. No, if there is still coffee in the pot and nobody else is going to drink it, I cannot leave it there. Just can't do it, sorry.) So tonight, I was going to spend a good, lengthy time recounting all the interesting tidbits that have transpired the last few days.

However, the phone just rang - yes, at two in the morning - it was one of the girls, calling to say they can't sleep.

Now, it's not that our nieces are strange young ladies who enjoy phoning relatives in the middle of the night to share their insomnia. It's just that we rented a boat today and the girls thought it might be fun to camp out on the river. Seems the 'skeeters thought that was mighty generous of them, though, and the girls have decided perhaps it's best to run for the shore while they still have enough blood left in them to think straight. Zorak just pulled out to rescue them - he may stay on the boat. Miss Emily and I may slather on the 'skeeter repellent and join him. Then, too, he may just tie the thing to a stump and pray for calm weather 'til after breakfast! I guess we'll know in a little while.

One benefit of having a house full of engineers: all your broken things get fixed! So far, between Ward, Creighton (brother-in-law) and Zorak, our coffee pot no longer leaks, the handle on the cooler will once again retract, and we think we know what's wrong with the Suburban. It doesn't get much better than this. I may just do a round of laundry for everyone tomorrow - on me! (Hey, when you don't go to a bar, you make do.)

Our nieces, who, by our recollections, ought to be a mere four and six years old, are actually quite enjoyable fourteen and sixteen year old girls - and we're so enjoying them. They're a little quiet, and I sometimes wonder just how badly we may rattle them with our noise and antics and unrepentant giggling over admittedly sophomoric bodily functions. Probably won't do any long-term scarring, at least. That's good. But we're enjoying them a great deal.

And I do believe I hear a car pulling up the drive, so I'm off to find out the status of the situation. Will talk to y'all later~

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Welcome to the Family

This Sunday, Miss Emily was brought into the covenant family. Pastor didn't pour water three times over her, as was done with the other boys. Just once in this ceremony. When I mentioned this at supper, my brother-in-law (father of two wonderful girls, himself) said that's because boys need the extra washing. ;-)

We did a quick scramble to get all the ends tied up nice and quick so that she could be baptized while her namesake could attend. (Can you tell they're enjoying one another?)
And here she is with her GodPapa, Mr. Ward.

The boys were proud to be there, and we had a heck of a time keeping everyone facing somewhat forward for pictures. I'll have to edit some, as our neices are in most of them and I don't have their Mama's permission to post their images. However, here's a cute one of Miss Em and Her Guys. (Note how both boys made sure they are touching her. That's our pastor, holding Emily.)

We're having a lovely visit, and got some great pictures to share, but the computer is still in the guest room and that means there's no two AM blogging. It's way too busy to blog during the day (right now my online banking isn't working, so I'm goofing off on allotted time *grin*), but am thinking of y'all and hoping everyone is having a Very Nice Summer Week.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Visiting Time

Visiting Time runs differently than Regular Time, or School Time, or even Christmas Time (which, we all know, runs at one speed for adults and at another for children - truly, the most unique time of all!) But Visiting Time is different altogether than any other Time.

Mornings linger longer and then vanish completely, seemingly without warning. There is no steady progression of time from waking to noon. Days become somewhat superfluous, as if today being Thursday or Saturday really mattered to begin with. Meals seem to anchor the days, and aside from the late night dragging of bodies to bed, become the only time to gauge the actual passing of time.

Visiting Time is a slower time. A pot of coffee may disappear in the blink of an eye, but an entire morning will pass before anyone thinks to head out or be productive. The gaunt expressions of the children generally trigger a quick time check... and breakfast.

Visiting Time is a time for sharing stories. Sometimes the stories are new. Often, they are old favorites, retold for newcomers to the porch, or shared again simply for the warmth and humor they impart. They become more interesting when told through two or three perspectives, the convolutions growing deeper and more insightful as the story progresses.

Visiting Time is a time to sit back and really watch your children. Since there is no schedule to keep, you sit back and see them through the eyes of your visitors. And you realize that these little people truly are just as neat as you thought, but sometimes forgot. They're also bound to surprise you with some new trick, or comment, or behavior, now that you're paying attention.

Visiting Time is a time to share favorite recipes, call in requests for new ones, and break out the good china. Or the paper plates. It really doesn't matter, because it's not about the things; it's about the time.

Visiting Time goes way too quickly, when your visitors are wonderful.

What a great feeling!

We actually got the house down to 72' yesterday evening. While that was a bit too chilly, even for us, it felt good to do it, anyway. The inside of the Forever Home is now a climate-controlled 79', and the difference is amazing. Not just the temperature, but the humidity! Our new little condensate pump is earning its keep pretty pronto! Yay!

The boys set off fireworks in the front yard with Zorak and Mr. Ward (boys and big boys, I suppose - something about noise and fire that speaks to the very heart of many generations of men). Granny kept to the living room with Miss Emily and Balto - both of whom were none too thrilled with the noises, lights, and smells of fireworks. (Melora, I think Balto would've loved to have had some of Bo's stash of nerve-calming goodies! Poor nervous little thing.) I took some pictures, but mostly just wandered into the house... ahhh... back out onto the porch... back into the house... ahhhhh... back out... in... ahhh... I think I walked twelve miles last night. And you know, it felt wonderful to come inside every. single. time.

Today, we've all had more energy than we've had in ages. The house has been tidied, meals prepared and eaten, wash done (and dried! woohoo!), and yet nobody's coated in a salty, dried-sweat crust. Miss Emily's hair, what little she has, is quite pretty when it isn't encapsulated in sweat beads. It's actually fluffy! Mr. Ward keeps teasing me that now I'll be getting all uppity, since I have a washer and a/c. Admittedly, I do feel pretty darned spoiled, but I figure I'll whip up a tasty supper tonight and a cool, homestyle dessert to quell any rumors right away. *grin*

That means I, erm, need to go buy some meat at the market, and um... yeah. Better get on that!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Not Dead (yet)

Hello, hello!

Well, the company we expected to arrive Saturday evening called from the corner market in the morning. That slowed us down, but we had a great time visiting, and had an extra set of hands to help get the place ready for our company arriving on Monday.

Until, that is, they pulled up Saturday evening!

So, we've done a lot of visiting and working, but not much downtime the past few days. The ductwork wasn't completed and ready for HVAC Guy to pick up until yesterday afternoon, so it will be tomorrow before we get the a/c hooked up. Talk about trial by fire: we've peaked 100' at least once since our company arrived! Boy, does that feel inhospitable. But thankfully, our company is gracious and has borne the discomfort without much fuss.

You've never seen three happier children, though, than when Granny climbed out of her car Saturday! We were out in the yard, enjoying the cool evening breeze. The boys had their bikes out. Smidge was doing his best to keep up on his little trike. Mr. Ward had the air compressor out and was running pit crew. Balto just ran from boy to adult, basking in the head rubs and energy. Then a strange car pulled up. And Granny got out - that's when chaos hit full steam!

John just about killed himself trying to get off his bike - first, he tipped it over, then he got his foot caught trying to get up. He finally extricated his foot, but left his boot behind. By the time he got himself put back together, she was halfway across the yard.

Smidge was so excited, he didn't know what to do. He'd run toward her, screaming, "Granny! My Granny at MY home!" Then it would hit him, and he'd run back to the porch to tell us that his Granny was at HIS home. He'd do a little dance, then realize he hadn't hugged her yet and off he'd go, making it part way across the yard and then back to the porch. The whole time, giggling and yelling and announcing that Granny was actually HERE!

James wanted to show whomever it was that had arrived his new bike tricks, so he was way at the top of the upper meadow before she got out of the car. Once he started down, he realized who it was and, well, that kind of excitement will sure mess up your ability to steer. Straight into the swing set, he went. He had an easier time of it removing himself from the wreckage, but was about as conflicted as Smidge as to whether to salvage the show and greet her with an impressive display, or toss it for now and go hang on Granny.

In the end, it was a wonderful evening, filled with lightning bugs and biking, iced tea and good company. It was the kind of thing we wanted this house to offer, and it does.

We'll be heading out to a party at church here in a bit. The boys are out with Granny, buying fireworks. (That's a lot like sending me to buy tomatoes and beer, but she's been a trooper about it.) Zorak and Mr. Ward are putting the finishing touches on the HVAC system so it will be ready to roll in the morning.

Sears called to confirm our "Special Delivery" tomorrow - they'll be here in the afternoon. I may wash things that don't even need washing, just for fun!

Have a splendid and wonderful Fourth of July! Give thanks for the blessings in your life, and as always, kiss those babies!
~Dy

Ahoy!

Jill mused a while back about the naval theme that her family has taken on, and it made me chuckle. The boys, naturally, asked what was so funny. And there, true to form, we wandered off the deep end - thus accomplishing nothing on the house, but engaging in fun forms of ship-speak for the next hour or so. Last night at supper, I heard, "Mom, the dressing stands by you." I looked up to see an impish little grin, and what could I do but laugh? (Well, and then explain to Zorak what we were giggling over.) We love to hear things like this pop up in their dialogue, as it's more proof that they *do* listen. After all, what are our children picking up when we aren't taking the time to be the ones talking with them?

And this delightful life of ours is about to crank up the pace for a few days! TONS of stuff to do: wiring, texturing, cleaning, hanging, sorting, nailing, trimming, and general readiness prep. Miss Emily won't sleep (teething tablets to the rescue!). The boys are thoroughly enjoying their lessons... to the detriment of any actual scheduling attempts on my part. Zorak's feeling a bit under the weather, and scratched his eye doing who-knows-what. (Safety goggles, Love! Sexy as they are, they're not just a fashion statement!) I go in tomorrow for a follow-up visit with my doctor (to show her that, no, I'm not suffering from some parentally-induced malaise, and yes, I still love and care for *gasp*, all four of my children.) Balto dog is due for more Frontline (ew!) so he goes in at two tomorrow. Sheetrock goes up tomorrow morning, and then it's texture-texture-texture like the wind! (I don't believe I've mentioned how bizarre it feels to walk out of the bathroom now and see, not plastic sheeting and dark, lurking forms behind it, but an open doorway and subfloor - and the window! We haven't seen that window since Christmas! Zorak and I both cringe involuntarily, then relax visibly every time we pass that doorway.)

And, it's really kinda still warm out. (Euphemism alert!!)

After a two-day wait with no call back, I called Sears again. Nobody knows anything about the missing return call, but the lady I spoke with said the laundry center isn't even scheduled to arrive in Huntsville until the wee hours of the fifth. *sigh* At least I have an answer, now. But that's okay - it's less than a week away! Yippee!

Our lessons today went quickly - we did them in our room, where Miss Emily could roam the bed without getting rug burns on her forehead and the boys could curl up and enjoy some snuggles among the phonics drills, Latin chants, and encyclopedia entries. I think James did his math under the couch cushions, or at least that's what it looked like. All I could see were his legs. John did his under the dining table. So, math, Latin, and earthquake awareness; check! Sounds like a good day, to me.

And now, everyone has been fed. Again. We need to knock out Smidge, put up some laundry, and then James and I hope to play our long-awaited game of chess (he's going to cream me). Hopefully, we can get a dresser this weekend and deal with some of the clutter. Yes, the same dresser we've been hoping to purchase for a month, now. Don't hold your breath. We only prepared for two children, so we're winging it on pretty much all fronts at this point.

Tonight's blogging will probably be a little light on content (as opposed to the deeply thought-provoking, content-rich blogging I've been doing lately *snort*). I need a little fun brain-break for a bit.

So, kiss those babies (and talk to them)!
~Dy

So Close We Can Taste It

HVAC Guy worked from nine until almost two. In that time, he accomplished quite a lot: the units are set, the lines are run, and measurements are taken. (OK, it doesn't look like much in writing. Maybe I've left something out - to be honest, we didn't bone up for the test on this part because, well, we didn't have to! Kind of nice for a change, to be honest.) He left a list of things we do need to get done before he comes back with the fabricated parts. But the good thing is that he said it may be the end of this week. Wouldn't that be heavenly? Of course, operative phrase is "may be", but I'll go with delirum for a thousand, please. I'm good with that.

It's so interesting to see the difference in working with him vs. the other people we spoke with - not only in that he is a small business owner rather than an employee for a larger corporation, but in that he saw the house last fall, before we bought it. He's almost as excited as we are about the changes. :-D I think I'd rather spend a week in a room of angry two-year olds than have to do an entire remodel using contractors for every step of it. But the few times we've had to work with someone, we've been fortunate to have great ones on our team. He has worked with us, and our schedule, and our poor communication skills *ahem, cough, cough* without ever getting snarky or raising the price on us mid-stream.

I called Sears today to find out if our laundry center will be in the vicinity before the fifth. If it is, then we'll go ahead and pick it up rather than wait for the fifth for delivery. We're using our own power cord, so they won't install it, anyway. Why wait? After thirty minutes on the phone with Sears, being transferred to random departments throughout the store (including women's apparel and tools), the verdict was that "Jennifer", presumably from appliances, will look into it and call me back to let me know. Never heard back, but I have hope. And that hope makes me giddy!

Zorak's Mom and Brother will head our way in a few days. Brother will drop her off with us, then head to PA to get his girls and bring them back. They plan to stay for a week or so. Looks like it's time to slip back into Host Mode, which is always a nice treat. They'd like to see the Caverns and the Gardens, and we'll probably do the boat excursion. Granny loves to hit the junk shops (and the boys, I am proud to say, have mastered the fine art of knowing when it's a "junk shop" and when you really ought to call it an "antique shop" - Granny will be so proud! *sniff*) The boys will be thrilled to have Granny at hand again. We cannot wait to see the girls. They're 14 and 16 now, and although in our minds they are still just 4 and 6, they've grown into fine young ladies who are a joy to be around.

I talked to the Aunts on Sunday and they said Gram is doing wonderfully. She's home, recovering, and growing stronger each day. Gram was resting when I called, and I'd planned to call back in the afternoon to talk to her, but I hate disturbing her rest. Even if she's just laying down, she's getting some rest, and she's probably going to need a lion's share of it over the next week or so. In the meantime, however, it's so encouraging to know she is recovering so well!

Tomorrow starts our church's summer Wednesday program. Looks like fun, and it's scheduled for the hot, hot afternoon hours. Ohhhh, twist my arm, folks! I get to hang out, in an air conditioned building, for two and a half hours while my children enjoy fellowship and all that crafty, energetic stuff I can't quite pull off? And there'll be snacks? What a delightful idea!

Kiss those sweet babies!
~Dy

He's HERE!

HVAC man is here! There are two beautiful, shiny new units being set as I type! Oh, JOY!

Dy

Day... whatever, I've lost count

The children and I stayed home (again) today. We waited. And waited. And waited. No HVAC guy. hmmm. Well, alrighty, then. Zorak did get through to him in the late afternoon, to find that he plans to be out tomorrow morning. (As opposed to this morning, or Saturday morning, or even last Friday morning... well, I'm not saving him any coffee. He can durned well bring his own.) To be fair to HVAC guy, Zorak's not the most detailed conversationalist when it comes to hammering out plans. Great engineer, wonderful husband... not so much on the communication end. About the only thing I can say with absolute certainty is that I will never know what happened.

Lessons are moving right along with all the fluid motion you can expect with four children. Yes, some days it's choppy like a lake in a storm. Today was relatively smooth. We did Bouncing Narrations, which are always fun. I read. They narrate. For each accurate point they make in their narrations, I let them bounce off my bed. This is why we never rented a second-floor apartment!

Smidge has become quite a list-maker, and self-proclaimed organizer. So, while I'm bringing water to the table, he's shouting, "Pray! A'er cord! Juice! Raymoose! ROOOARRR! Straw! ROOOARRR! A'er cord! Ooo, ooo, ooo JUICE!" (To translate the less-than-clear bits: "a'er cord" is "AllerChord", the drops the boys all take; ROOOARRR is "vitamins" - they're shaped like dinosaurs, of course.) It's like being dictated to by a drunk. A really, really cute drunk.

Oh, and things I overheard today from the other two:
John: "Watch out, Smidge! I'm about to impress Emily!"

James: (after a particularly loud crash) "No, we're good. Nothing's broken. Well, we need a new plate for the scale. And this time, use the two-ton epoxy."

They make me smile.

The house is nearly ready for company, which is good, because a friend of Zorak's leaves Arizona tomorrow to come look for a home. Yeah, tomorrow. Coming our way. Nothing like a good head's up that company's coming, right? (Again, I'm looking closely at Zorak for this - how do you fail to mention when out-of-state company will be arriving this week? Oh, well, at least I've got tomorrow to get the guest room ready. You know, while we wait for the HVAC guy...)

Tonight calls for a little music, a little coffee, and more cleaning! So, while I'd rather stay on and play, I suppose I'll go do something productive. The boys requested oats for breakfast, and chai tea. So at least there's nominal prep work for the morning. I love that they can formulate menus they enjoy, and that the foods are mostly identifiable and provably edible. This is one of those things I've come to appreciate on a deep level.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

(Yes, I know "chai" means "tea". When they change the sign in Arizona that points to "Table Mesa Road", then I'll care. Until then, the box says "chai tea" and that what we're calling it.)

We Made It

Or, to be a bit more specific, We Very Nearly Made It. We got up, dressed, fed (albeit lightly - smoothies, fruit and toast make for a lousy breakfast - we would die off, and be quite grouchy about it in the process, if we were forced to become vegetarians!) and out the door in time to make it to Sunday School. The Very Nearly part comes in because, technically, the boys' classes were doing their Opening Ceremonies thing when we arrived. BUT, they had not gone to their 'age appropriate' holding pens yet, and so, that totally counts! SCORE!

About three minutes into class, Smidge announced (to everyone in the room) that he had to pee. Now. Let's go! We shuffled off to the nursery (aka - nearest facility - I know better than to try to make it down the gauntlet, uh, hallway festooned with classroom art.) I handed Miss Emily off to Sweet Tiffany, who works in the nursery on Sundays, and bolted to the facility just in time to prevent Smidge from starting a streaking career. Dancing, high-fives and general happiness ensued.

As we washed our hands, Smidge spied a toy he wanted to play with. Um... well, yes, you can play with that, but you'll need to play with it in here. We can't take it out of the room. "OK, Mama. You go. I'll play." As this strange alien changeling took the toy and plopped down on the floor to play, Tiffany, Nice Mrs. B, and I stared after him as if none of us knew who this kid was or how he got in. Wow, that's new! I did a quick head count: three adults, and only three children. "Um, would it be okay if Miss Emily stayed for Sunday School, too?" :-) I slipped out, kept my ears perked (our class meets in the room adjoining the nursery), and enjoyed the study tremendously. The pace of the class seems much slower when one isn't also tending to two children.

When the boys and I retrieved Smidge, Miss Emily was sound asleep. I think Tiffany is the one person in the nursery I'm comfortable leaving the children with, which had a lot to do with the next step I took. However, there was also the decadent thought of sitting through the service with only three children... it was like the siren's song and there was nobody to lash me to the mast! We ran for it, enjoyed snack and fellowship and then the four of us slipped quietly into the sanctuary. The service was wonderful. It was good to be able to spend time instructing the boys on the liturgy, the order of worship, and the whole point of the service. Miss Emily was up and happy when the service ended, so there wasn't any residual guilt stuck to me as we left the building.

The rest of the day was laundry, cleaning, laundry, and a nap that I tried very hard not to take.

Smidge ate the cheese off his chili at supper, then turned his nose up at the rest of it, so we got ready for bed before the boys and were able to spend extra time reading Smidge-Speed books. We took our time finding all the buildings in Geoppolis. We talked about moles and tugboats with Scuffy. We looked at spiders. But mostly, we cuddled. We smiled. We shared eskimo kisses and head 'nuggles. By the time the boys were ready for a story, Smidge was out cold, his little heart all tanked up and happy.

We are revisiting The Borrowers. I was pregnant last time we tried, and although I loved the book when I was a child, it pretty much knocked me out last fall when I tried reading it to the boys. Two chapters in, though, and I think we're going to make it!

James just finished Owls in the Family and asked for more books by Mowat. He's collected quite a list of authors he'd like to read more of this summer. I suppose it's time to go pay the late fees we owe the Madison County library.

John got a little extra attention and grace this weekend, which seems to be exactly what he was needing. Rather than being a BIG BROTHER, at the moment he's feeling quite mired in MIDDLE CHILD SYNDROME. It's rough to be standing in this chaos we've built, let alone standing in it with one foot in the "young man" realm and the other foot still dragging heavily in the "little guy" realm. We spent some time reassurring him - through actions moreso than words - that it's okay to be in the places inbetween. You don't have to heave yourself up onto the next step of the ladder in one bound. We love you, and we've got your back. I think we all need that reassurrance once in a while, but we don't always know how to go about asking for it.

And Miss Emily has a new nickname: Girlzilla. The boys made it up. She's discovered the joy of knocking down towers. Or, rather, I suspect she's discovered the joy of making her brothers laugh. That they build things for her to knock down is simply a handy avenue through which she can achieve that goal. They'll build something just within her reach, then stand back and watch with anticipation. She'll knock it down, then immediately look at them and raise her eyebrows expectantly. They'll roll with laughter, and she'll squeal and start chewing on some part of the structure until they gather the parts to do it again. What fun!

I'm going to put Girlzilla back to bed and get some rest, myself. Tomorrow will, hopefully, be a Very Busy Day!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

In The Summertime

Yes, I've had the Mungo Jerry song in my head all day long. Granted, that's kept a little lift in my footsteps (not to mention the workout my neck muscles have had from bobbing about all day), so I suppose it's not all bad, right? As an aside, I had no idea he's been so busy all these years!

Weather.com is wonderful. I can gauge just when to hang out the wash in order to have it dry before the rains come! Technology, both primitive and state-of-the-art, working together to bring us fresh garments. What a delight - and three loads down today!

The boys' windows are nearly finished. The purple one is done (just had to do the apron today). The yellow one is nearly done now - the trim, stoop and apron are now done with two coats. It needs just one more coat of Irish Mist on the bars and muntins. The yellow looks particularly bright and airy, but I've got to say the purple isn't bad, either. Certainly not what I'd have picked, but then, neither is the grey in our room. Go figure. It is a good thing we didn't find the circa early-1900's (or older) home we were hoping to find, as there is no way I'd feel good about slapping these garish colors on "good wood". These windows, however? A-okay, in my book. And it made the boys smile. How could I not love that?

We had rain today - glorious, cooling, cleansing rain. The boys wanted to run out and play in it, and my knee-jerk reaction was, "no." But why? Are we going somewhere? Is there a tornado heading for the yard? Am I concerned the creek will rise up and release crocodiles? No, on all counts. You know, I don't mind growing up, but I do have to guard against growing weary in my soul - so go, run, play, dance. As a matter of fact, I'll grab Miss Emily and we'll sit on the porch and watch. It was delightful. Miss Emily, Balto-dog and I sat on the porch and laughed along with the boys. The boys were muddied, exhausted, and drenched, but happy.

Four made-up games, three hours, two showers, and a bath later...

Zorak had prepared a delicious mystery concoction of potatoes, pork chops, onions and miscellaneous other things. The boys set the table. We ate and talked, played and tidied. Then we popped popcorn and enjoyed a family movie before story time. We were productive today on many fronts, but the most important front was time spent with the children. By the time everybody had been tucked in and kissed, Zorak and I looked at one another, smiled the smiles of the truly blessed, and said, "This is good. This is really good."

HVAC guy didn't come today. He said he'd tried to confirm yesterday and couldn't get through (we were home all day, though, and I had even paged him in the evening), so he'll be out Monday, at any rate. Lag time between setting equipment and fabricating the remaining parts looks to be about a week. Thankfully, next week promises to be about ten degrees cooler than the past week. Yay. However, then it looks like it's going back up. So my poor Mother-in-Law may have to tough it out for a day or two in the sweltering, marrow-melting heat. But, if she survives, just think how comfortable she'll be when we kick on that new unit! (She's so brave - she must really love us!)

The delay until Monday does buy us more time for duct repair (there was a lot of it!) and perhaps we can get more trim up and finish the closets in the War Room (aka - erstwhile master bedroom, temporary guest room, future Smidge/Miss Emily room. It's been a busy room.)

And tomorrow is another opportunity to make it to church on time! (We were late for our own wedding - and then late to the reception, as well. I don't know why it surprises me that this is a struggle now.) So, in honor of that, I have two minutes to get to bed before midnight and I'm going to jump on it!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Ahh, sweet end of day

There is, perhaps, no softer, sweeter feeling than that of getting a few minutes one-on-one snuggle time with each child as you tuck them into bed. Somehow, that quiet time of touching base makes the whole unruly mess of the day recede into the background, making way for the hope of tomorrow, and the unending comfort of unconditional love. It goes both ways, and it is oh-so-good.

Had a busy day, but everything seemed to go wrong. Just plain wrong, from beginning to end. We went to the wrong park for playdate, and that's just the culminating fiasco in the whole getting-out-of-the-house saga that hallmarked this morning. This afternoon, we bought veggies and that was about it. Had more to purchase, but it wasn't going to happen today. Nope. I may have to start shopping online, although that will require a bit more proactivity on my part (ie. planning ahead).

While I'm thinking of it, I found two sites this week that I thought were worth noting. I've just left them up all week, because my bookmarks are a hideous mess and although I don't ever buy much online, I wanted to remember them. So, here ya go (then y'all can remind me that I blogged about them when I'm pondering their actual existence in a year, okay?)

Do It Yourself Pest Control. Saw this site recommended on the WTM boards, and blew two full nights checking it out. (Gee, I wonder why it caught my attention? *grin*) Not only is it informative, but the lady who recommended it said she's been quite happy with her business dealings thus far. Worth looking at!

Make Your Own Stamps. Zazzle is a site that I could easily get so lost in that it would take a full-blown rescue operation to help me find my way back again. Stuff you didn't know you needed, stuff you didn't realize was possible. This particular link looks particularly neat, and someday, when I actually mail out Christmas cards, I think it'd be nice to have specialized stamps made. These stamps are authorized postage for the USPS, so have fun!

Oh, oh, oh! Smidge is on DAY TWO of staying totally dry. Totally clean. Totally not eating good foods because of all the potty treats he has consumed. WAH-HOO!!!

Let's see, what else is there? Didn't do much on the house today. Well, *I* didn't. I just cleaned up my mess from yesterday's work. Zorak, however, got the main vent cleaned and about half the runs to the registers cleaned. That, after working a full day. He is my hero.

We had a nice, cool supper: grilled chicken, rice, applesauce, and cucumbers (sliced, then soaked in salt and vinegar/water, chilled - WONDERFUL on a hot summer evening!) I was going to serve iced water and iced tea, but somebody - probably a boy whose name begins with "J" - used all but five ice cubes from the freezer while giving the dog water tonight. So the dog has a mountain of deliciously cooled ice to nibble on this evening and we drank lukewarm tap water. That part wasn't so refreshing. But did I mention the cucumbers were nice?

Tomorrow, more windows, more trim. I'm sure reading about painting is about as much fun as watching it dry, so I'll try to think of something slightly more scintillating to write about. The HVAC Guy is coming, too, I think. I should see if he'll pose for a picture.

Whew, and I'm going to hit the hay before it's suddenly tomorrow already!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

More remodeling work

While we wait for the HVAC guy and the bush hog guy (the bush hog guy was supposed to come today, but the barn still looks more like Bag End than a full-size barn, so my money says he didn't show), we turn our attention the detail work that we have been avoiding... um, well, yeah, avoiding.

We've decided on the closet layout for what will be Smidge and Miss Emily's room. It has two tiny closets, one of which we made even smaller by building a chase in it to run the vent for the water heater up and out. Ah, okay... it doesn't look like a good idea, but it was. At least, it was the best we could do with what we have (what with those pesky codes and all). And we will continue telling ourselves that in ten years, when our youngest children lament their lack of closet space.

So, the littlest closet will get wire shelving, top to bottom. Won't that make it look mighty and useful? We hope so. The other small closet will get two rods with wire racks, but we'll splurge and get the rods with the swoopty things so the coat hangers can slide all the way across. I'm sure that will make a world of difference to the Small Ones.

I got the second coats of paint put on the *one* window in the boys' room. (The other one looks significantly worse now, although I didn't touch it, I swear!) And the tape is OFF. BEEYOUTEEFUL! Next, curtains, perhaps? Mmmm, normalcy... Also got the first and second (I think second, but I don't remember. We'll see in the morning, I guess) coats on the one (and only) window in the master bedroom.

The boys felt a bit neglected after their lessons were done, so they set to making themselves feel better. By yelling at one another. I guess this was an attempt to help me out, so I wouldn't have to do it, myself? I don't know, but by the time Zorak called to see if I needed him to pick up anything on his way home, I was trying to paint with one hand, the hot, sweaty, screaming baby cradled in the other hand, and all three boys were relegated to their beds (but not allowed to fall asleep - nooooo, not at five-thirty, you don't!) It was a lovely phone call, but he refused to bring me horse tranquilizers and rum. Pfft. What'd ya ask for, then?

He did set up the crib for Miss Emily, though, and she is now safely ensconsed in her own wooden cell. Safe from marauding two year olds. Shielded from the pull of gravity. And not sweating profusely against my torso. Life. Is. Good. (I'm all for co-sleeping, under the right conditions: neither parent is a drunk {well, since somebody didn't bring me rum tonight, check}; it doesn't interfere with the parents' private activities {by the time you have four, you've learned to get creative, so 'check'}; the home is somewhat climate controlled to prevent said co-sleeping arrangement from causing undue sweating - and sticking - and a fear that someone will mildew before morning {ehhh, no go on this one, hence the crib}.)

Tomorrow we have a playdate with one of the homeschooling support groups we'd signed up with ages ago. This is our second try with this group. They have a rule that says you must attend X number of functions within 60 days of joining or you get the boot. It's an attempt to keep the predators away, and I certainly appreciate that. It's just that... well, I'm bad about getting out of the house. And even less excited about getting out of the house to go sit at the park and glisten for two hours. Still, we've wanted for a while to go to something and meet some locals, and it won't always be this hot. Right? Right?!? (Quick, someone remind me that it's going to cool off eventually!!!) Thankfully, tomorrow's activity is swimming! I think we can hang with that.

Oh, and Zorak bought an air-mover. We set it up in the hallway and took turns standing directly in front of it. That was better than a weekend pass to Sea World!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Home Remodeling Tip #237

Paint the darned trim before the weather turns hot. Even if you're tired of painting trim. Even if you are burned out on paint, period. Even if you must do it hunched over like Quasimodo, with three children and a baby hanging off your dangly bits. Yes, do it. It's not going to get any easier before Halloween, so just get it over with.

*whew*

Got the topcoat put on the bars and muntins of *one* of the boys' windows. Got most of the window trim painted purple (yeah, that was intentional). Have to wait to paint the stoop and the apron because they'll be yellow. No blue on the windows now, as we're moving all-things-blue to Smidge and Emily's room next month. (A pink and blue room - how cute, yet painfully cliche!)

Textured the linen closet. Will prime that tonight and paint it in the morning. Yay!

Went to Sears today and purchased THIS. It will be here July 5th. Can you feel the joy emanating from your monitor? I'll yell you, if my mother-in-law wasn't coming a few days before then, I'd probably put a moratorium on all things clothing related until then. *grin* I'll spare her the grim task of witnessing that, though, and at least try to keep up in the meantime.

Zorak has all the ventilation runs removed and ready to clean. That has been, to put it mildly, a disgusting venture. I'd rather do laundry!

And... I think I'm supposed to be cooking supper right now, but this is the first time that particular item has managed to wriggle its way to the forefront of my mind. Guess I'd better go figure that out!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

A Countdown

If you go back
1 college degree...

2 vehicles...

3 children...

4 states...

5 houses...

6 years...

You come to the day we got this little addition to our family:



Thankfully, he didn't spring from anyone's loins that size. We just didn't get a digital camera until he was about two. But he was just as cute when he started out, trust me!

Much like Titch's little seed, he grew and grew and grew. Our Wednesday hiking days became immensely more enjoyable once he acquiesced to carrying his own water...


He's been our anchor, reminding us that they're just little guys, that everybody needs extra hugs, that it's okay to be small. That everybody needs their comforting things kept near.


John is the one who can find beauty anywhere. He shares it readily, and heads out to find more.


He tends to play the straight man to his big brother's antics...


... but not always.


He "gets" the good stuff, like family -


both young,


and old (er - older!)


And while it doesn't come as a shock that our "JohnBaby" has grown into such a great young man,


and a wonderful big brother,


It's very touching to see just what a wonderful young man he has become.


Happy Birthday, My Sweet and Wonderful Boy! I love you, and am thankful Dad and I get to have you in our lives. You are truly a joy and a delight to our hearts!

Love,
Mom

On Having a Poop Blog

WHEN did my blog go from a homeschooling blog to a daily poop report? I am so, so sorry for that. In an effort to redeem myself from the incessant potty training updates, I'd like to share a little educational blogging for a bit. (Ok, one more update before I stop: WHY can a child stay 100% dry, 24/7, even waking dry from naps and bedtimes and STILL refuse to use the darned thing for solids?!? WHYYYYYYY?)

Alright, now for a little redemption. The other children are doing productive, educational things. Mainly without me, as I'm sequestered in the hallway, running herd on Smidge.

James is working his way through Gamma, namely because I make him. For fun, though, he is playing with fractions. Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. In his head. For fun. And he's not only accurate, but he's fast. I should be happy that my only role in his mathematical education at this point is to make certain he has the facts themselves down pat so that this will continue to be easy and fun for him. It does give me a little leeway with the hallway time. But we may have to hire a tutor named Heinrich to come and live with us in a few years. He's also *drum roll, please* SWIMMING! The last time we went, he put on a life jacket and took off swimming. He swam way the heck out there, where I'd have to find someone to catch the baby before I could divest myself of binding clothes in order to go rescue him if something should happen. Nothing happened, of course, but a mother's mind works overtime in the Alfred Hitchcock corridor while her mouth is shouting, "Way to GO! Look at you GO!! YAY!! YOU! ARE! AWESOME!"

John's writing is wonderful, and he is reading all the word problems in his math sets. He's also significantly more interested in Latin since we've picked it up again. It's clicking. This is the year of the click for him. Thank God, because he's turning six and six is not my best year for remaining calm and encouraging. Anyhow, we've been reviewing all the Prima Latina prayers this month. And he's good. He's having a lot of fun learning his things, his way. I didn't think he'd do so well with the "which subject would you like to do first" approach, but he does. And he picks math first, then Latin, and then - who'd have guessed, Bible. He's also showing a concerted interest in drawing. Perhaps it's time to invest in some quality materials and start working toward offering him something a little more meaty in that area? Nothing replaces the fun, self-directed delight of free time, but sometimes it's nice to have a few more tools in the mental toolbox.

The board games are getting a workout. As is my inner dialogue, which goes something like this:

"This time is short-lived. This time will pass SO quickly. Oh, kill me now, it's Connect Four! This time is short-lived and precious."

Chess is turning out to be quite fun, though, and it's something the older two boys and I enjoy tremendously. Sadly, chess is Smidge's new "Seek and Destroy" mission - it seems to have replaced read-alouds in his "this causes me pain and so I must prevent its mere presence in our home" approach to life. So we only play while he's napping. There are many sheets of paper lying about the house with mid-game schematics drawn hurriedly on them. (The boys start sketching while I lure Smidge back down the hall to the bathroom. It's not a potty thing, it's just a stalling tactic so they can get the notes down.)

We are about 2/3 done with Huckleberry Finn - we're enjoying it, but the slow pace of the dialogue pretty much puts us all to sleep mid-afternoon. One chapter at a time is a painful way to read through Mark Twain, and I don't think we'll revisit any of his work until the boys are a bit older. Perhaps as a read-aside, where we each read the book at a set pace and discuss it, rather than as a read-aloud? Is that cowardly of me? I hope not, but if so, I'm good with that. Suggestions for what to read next? Some good, meaty, delightful summer read-alouds would be most appreciated!

I'm reading The Cat of Bubastes, by Henty; Godless by Coulter; Moby Dick by somebody who abridged it (it was in the basement and I was desperate); Pilgrim's Progress (this caused the desperation that sent me into the basement for Melville's abridged story); The Power of a Praying Parent by O'Martian (re-read, never hurts to get a refresher); and working on my own independent math studies (why, oh why, doesn't Steve write a Calculus book?). In all, not a bad line-up. I do wish I had a little more brain candy on the nightstand at the moment, but it just doesn't seem to be the season for that.

And Miss Emily is doing a one-armed Army crawl now! She'd probably make better headway if the comforter cover offered more traction instead of bunching up beneath her, but that doesn't seem to be a deterrent. She decides to go somewhere (generally to get something) and she is off - like a very determined, single-minded herd of turtles. Just imagine what she will do when we have flooring we can actually set her down on! Wow, the world is hers to conquer!

But now, it's time to tend to the home and the hubby and the things that need tending before turning in. Kiss those babies!

Dy

On Doing Physical Labor in 94 degree heat with no a/c

See "On Cleaning Plywood Floors".

On Cleaning Plywood Floors

Don't.

Just. Don't.

Gram's Through The Operation!!

YAY!

Aunt B called not too long ago to let us know that Gram is out of surgery. It took a little longer than expected, but they expect her to be just fine. She'll be in recovery for a bit and then on up to a room - a regular room, rather than ICU, which is encouraging.

Thank you.

Dy

Almost made it!

Cold cereal for breakfast, baths on Saturday night, clothes hung bedside and ready to go - the little things that can help get you to church on time, without taking the Lord's name in vain on the way. The morning went smoothly, and we nearly made it out of the house on time. However, Smidge decided to keep his streak going just as we buckled him into the carseat, so back into the house for yet another round of: Where do we poop? In the potty! Yes, that's right! So... what's up, then? And then, since we didn't go anywhere Saturday, I forgot to put gas in the Suburban on Saturday. Ah, yes, that would help, wouldn't it? So we had to stop on the way in. We missed Sunday School, but made it for church, and I'm so glad we did!

We had a guest speaker for the sermon - a guy who is 1 1/2 years into seminary. His name is Jonathan Kuiper, and he's the son of Bernhard Kuiper, author of When Bad Things Happen To Good Prophecies. He goes a bit against the PCA grain, in that he's an eloquent, humorous and witty public speaker. Nothing against the pastors of our church, and we've actually got two phenomenal pastors here at this one. We've just found that a style of engaging public speaking doesn't seem to be the "norm" in this denomination, and it's stunningly refreshing when we stumble upon a pastor who has that skill! (Yep, parishioners dig pastors with SKILLS!) Anyhow, back to the subject at hand - we enjoyed the sermon tremendously. There was also a baptism - one of our pastors had the honor of baptizing his eighth grandchild today. That was so nice, and heightened our anticipation of getting the paperwork finished and the Inquisition held so that we can have Miss Emily baptized.

Zorak wanted sushi, so it was off for lunch after church. Swung by the Crunchy Market for more bread (and wf ginger snaps!) Then, to a movie. We saw Cars, and it was much better than we anticipated. Yes, it did have a clear Doc Hollywood echo to it, but without all the angry anti-hunter nonsense, which made it doubly enjoyable for us. In spite of its G rating, there was still a little unnecessary innuendo, but I guess the folks in Hollywood (even at Pixar) don't know how to move a plot without a love interest, and cannot for the life of them figure out how to have a love interest without a little blue humor. That's sad for them, really, as the biggest grown-up laughs in the audience came, not from the bawdy humor, but from the references that were simply geared to our era. In all, though, it was worth coughing up a kidney to take the entire family to a movie. And not a bad way to get out of the heat.

Some friends are in town this week, and we hope to see them while they're here. We worked on the house a bit more this evening, watched Robots again (what was I saying about unnecessary innuendo? Yes, I know.) and read. We enjoyed a late-night snack with Smidge and James. (James and Zorak ate sardines. Smidge and I sat far, far away and ate crackers and cheese.)

I'm feeling more energized about the house, now that it's more organized. We'll see how the new plan holds up to daily lessons, experiments, and general living! ;-)

Gram heads in tomorrow for her surgery. Please keep her in your prayers. I talked to her today, and aside from not being terribly thrilled with the pre-surgery diet, she's in good spirits and looks forward to getting better soon.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

We Have No Tails!

We worked 'em off today!

Zorak got the new vent for the HVAC cut into the bathroom floor. We wrestled for quite a while with the exact placement of it. Not too close to the toilet, as it'll get peed in. Not too close to the sink, as that'll guarantee the register fins get stomped on, after water is poured down the hole. And NOT, as the Genius who built the place decided, between the tub and the toilet. (WHAT was he thinking?!?) We measured, estimated, gauged, wrangled, and finally decided on "the sweet spot": far enough from the sink not to be in the way, far enough from the toilet to avoid incoming trajectory. Zorak was just finishing the detail work around the new hole when John came in and... still managed to hit the darned thing. GAH!! What IS it with these boys? It's not a "guy thing" - they just aren't even trying! Do I need to get some kind of singing, blinking apparatus that will go off and shower the child in sparkly confetti and chocolate if the stream doesn't veer onto (or past) the rim? Would that work? Anyway, the register is now in.

Zorak took the ductwork apart to clean, but has decided to ask Aweseom HVAC Guy about getting a professional to do it. They've been sitting, unused, for an awfully long time, and while the ductwork itself is in good condition, it was exposed to The Cricket Queen and her Court for a very long time. And the mice. And the mold/mildew/other growing stuff. And what have you. Yuck. This is yet another learning curve for us - ventilation maintenance, cleaning, and repair - and we'd just rather not blow all that stuff up into each room if we can help it. So, if it turns out a professional guy has some cleaning stuff we aren't privvy to, then it'll be worth it to pay him to do it.

While Zorak battled the few things left to do before Awesome HVAC Guy comes to set the equipment and take fabrication measurements, I tried very hard to tame the savage beast that is the aftermath of the closet room foray. Winter clothes, art supplies, two years' worth of toilet paper (we forgot we already had some in there, so we bought more and... threw it in there). It's a veritable rainbow of crap, and it's been squatting in the hallway, the bathroom, and our room all week. That's the kind of stuff that'll make a gal twitchy in a hurry!

The two boxes of Very Cool Clothing that I inherited while on vacation have now been absorbed into the nooks and crannies of our bedroom. Zorak's missing summer clothes re-emerged today, as well. (They were in the box of extra coat hangers, and dresses-I-can't-wear-while-nursing - why didn't I think to look in there earlier? *D'oh!*)

The bathroom, which suffered a direct hit when I engaged the closet room last week, has been excavated and is now back to its previous pristine and comfortable status. James walked in as I was putting on the finishing touches (ie. wiping down the toilet again) and said, "Oh, wow! I'd forgotten how pretty our bathroom is!" Yeah, me, too. It also feels considerably larger, now, what with the boxes and the packs of supplies and the random miscellaneous stuff culled, sorted, and dealt with. (Three children worth of superfluous homebirth supplies makes for a rather doom 'n gloom box of emergency supplies when all piled together. But I'm keeping them until hell freezes over, just in case.)

Oh! The dining room has curtains! We've had the curtains for a while, but didn't have a rod. Zorak picked up a rod the other day, and we hung it tonight. Oh, it looks so pretty. The change does make the dining table a bit more glaringly ugly, mmm, rustic, but that's okay. Once we refinish that, it'll be perfect. And in the meantime, the difference is stunning!

The boys have been on High Critter Alert this week, and boy have they earned their stripes! Yesterday, while I was putting Miss Emily down for a nap, Smidge stood at the foot of my bed and said, "Oh. Bug, ma. Bug." He was so calm and matter-of-fact about it that I figured it was a moth or a beetle. So I asked James to please kill it for me, since I couldn't get up just yet. He ran out of the room, returned with his bug catcher, and shortly presented me with - a wasp! DANG! Then today there was what I took for an earthworm in the hallway. I asked the boys if they wanted to look at it, and they arrived, bug catcher in hand, to apprehend what turned out to be a worm... with a whole lotta legs! Yes, it was a millipede. Lovely. They found an inch worm in the back yard and had a delightful time watching it, too. I'm glad they are so enthralled by nature, but did have to give a quick briefing on what to touch and what not to touch - and that if Mom has asked you to get something, but it looks like it might bite/sting/follow you home and eat you, double check before doing anything. Mom may not have been paying attention enough. *cringe* (And I quietly made a note to myself to pay more attention. *sigh*)

Everyone's been scrubbed and shined, clothes laid out for tomorrow. We were going to let Zorak sleep in for Father's Day - but there's that whole church thing. It's not like we can go to Sunday School, then come back to get him for church. The boys love having him there, so he said he'd go (yet another reason we celebrate him year-round!) and then in the afternoon, we're off to see Cars! (That was what the boys wanted to do for him - sounds like a win-win, doesn't it?) The only part of the puzzle that's missing is me getting some sleep! So, I'm off to kiss my babies and drift off to dreamland. Have a delightful day, whatever you do!

Dy

I like disgusting things!

That was the comment from my 7 year-old today as we left the ENT's office. As soon as it came out of his mouth, we both cracked up. He meant to say, "I like discussing things!" It just didn't quite come out that way. We giggled all the way to the car, and I have no idea what the folks in the office thought. It doesn't matter. We were enjoying one another.

The ENT visit went well. Miss Emily's ear canals are a bit twisty and curvy, but her hearing is A-OK. James was fascinated by all the audiology equipment. The audiologist was splendidly patient with his questions. Before we left, one of the assistants even showed him a CT scan of a sinus cavity. Talk about cool, eh? The ENT was also very cool, and handled James' scientific enthusiasm quite well. Even made a point to ask James to tell him when the time machine is ready for use. (James is convinced he can build one that will actually work.) Too sweet.

We picked up a few gifts for John's birthday. James and I had a blast at the toy store. We were like, well, like a couple of kids. There is some incredibly neat stuff available! The lady at the counter gave James a set of sample POGs before we left. *sigh* I do wish I knew more about them beforehand. The game itself is actually kinda fun, and we played a bit together this afternoon. It's the characters' names, and the images on the POGs themselves that make me a bit skeptical. I'll go searching for information tonight and come up with a final verdict.

Miss Emily waited patiently through the doctor's visit, the toy store. She Wal-Mart fairly well, and was a trooper at the Steak 'n Shake drive-thru (How could we pass up a milkshake on a day like today?) But when we stopped to pick up a movie for a family movie night, she decided she'd had enough of this junk. Can't blame her. I forgot that her little dress had a bow in the back and that couldn't have been comfortable on her, while she was in the carseat most of the day. Oops. Back to slip on britches and a t-shirt for that little girl! (I like her sense of style vs. comfort already - that's my girl!)

Zorak had taken the middle two down to the park this morning, then to the post office. They came home and hung out under the ceiling fans. When James, Miss Emily and I arrived home, he had lunch waiting for us (oh, so pampered! What joy!) - then he and Smidge napped for a bit, while the rest of us played games and chatted. As a side note, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the day with James - it was such fun to have both ears to lend him and have the energy to keep up with and absorb him. He's a funny, sweet, quirky, neat kid. But, I also missed having John and Smidge around during the day. It's interesting to see how each child contributes so much to the tapestry of daily living. This is what folks mean by "rich" - my life is incredibly rich.

ANYway, once everyone was up, we gave John an early birthday present. He's been begging to watch Pirates of the Carribean for, oh, at least two years now. This month, he asked if six would be "old enough to watch it". You could feel the yearning as it radiated from his big brown eyes. So today was the day. Big fanfare - popcorn, lollipops, and the clickers at hand (just in case - it's been a while since Zorak and I saw it, and our retention isn't 100%, as evidenced by the whole Temple of Doom fiasco). We paused the movie a few times to discuss it and answer questions. Our concerns over the whole "undead" thing seem to have been fairly unfounded - Smidge played in the kitchen most of the time, and the older two just thought the movie was a wild ride, from beginning to end.

Now everyone has been loved on and snuggled, tucked safely into bed. I'm going to go try to muscle in on some of the floor fan action in the living room and see if anything's on the TV (all two channels that we get, ha!) This is Father's Day weekend - do y'all have any plans? I should see if I can get Zorak to guest blog for it, since I don't have any real words of wisdom to share on this Hallmark Holiday.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Blew My One Cool Outift

Miss Emily had a newborn (infant, whatever) hearing exam today at ten. I woke the boys early, and we ran to the store to get whipping cream (forgot to ask Zorak to bring some when he came home yesterday - not an auspicious beginning to the day). We came back, threw bread pudding in the oven, got everybody showered, dressed, fed, and out the door in semi-record time. We arrived five minutes early to our appointment - high fives all around! WE ROCK!

The boys filed into the chairs while I signed us in, gave insurance information, and signed the Declaration of, er, some large stack of paperwork.

Then we sat. And sat. And sat.

FORTY-FIVE MINUTES later, the receptionist called Miss Emily to the front to tell us they have our appointment down for *tomorrow*, not today. At ten. I have the paperwork from the referring office that says it was, in fact, for today, but since the main ENT is the one we're supposed to see, and he is in surgery today, it was a moot point. Somebody goofed, no biggie, really.

"But," said the chipper receptionist, "we have all the paperwork done and can just come right on in tomorrow!"

Um... Yay?

And how does the outfit come into this? Well, I have only one outfit that says,

"I am a totally together woman who showers daily, accessorizes, and manages all of this - renovating, homeschooling, parenting, and wifely duties - quite well, thank you."

ONE. I wear it to official appearances, such as doctor's visits and things at Zorak's workplace, in order to counterbalance the things the boys may add to discussions. (see yesterday's post)

I wear it because it's the one I want to be seen in if I must appear on the evening news in less-than-flattering coverage. (Much better than being photographed in Zorak's clothes and my militant boots... or worse yet, sweats and no bra with large leaky splotches on the paint-slathered t-shirt.) And now, they've seen it already! And it's not like the appointment was rescheduled for next week, when it could just be coincidence that I arrive in the same outfit. ARGH.

To make matters worse, this doctor is married to one of the wonderful ladies I've met here recently. They also homeschool, which is a huge plus. But she's really together. She's not "from here", but she can totally pull of that Metropolitan Southern Belle thing with wonderful flair. AND she has four children. It's not like she set the bar low, so us mere mortals can hurdle it. Gah!

I even bathed the baby today! She didn't smell of soured milk (which, in this heat and humidity, it sours pretty quickly, so hush). She was all pink and had a clean neck! And now I'm going to have to do this all over again? Pffttt.

At least if I bathe her again, maybe she'll be so stunningly cute that nobody will notice the stained t-shirt or the men's size designation on my jeans tomorrow?

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Kinda Quiet

Well, after the hullabaloo last night, today was rather uneventful. Nice, really. Since I got more sleep in one night than I normally do in a week, I was up 'n at 'em early this morning, and that momentum just carried through the day. The kitchen received a stuff-overhaul (we SO need to get that pantry ordered!) The dining room got cleared out. The living room got a good scouring. We had a nice, hot breakfast, enjoyed our lessons, played a little chess, played outside, and just enjoyed one another's company.

The big event today: we all followed Smidge to the bathroom every few minutes to cheer him on. I'm pretty sure that James would be perfectly happy to go the whole day tomorrow without having to come look at urine. Yes, pretty sure. Yet he'll come, and he'll high-five, and he'll give big hugs. Why? Because he's a cool kid. Even when we interrupt his precious reading time, he manages to muster a smile before he hits the bathroom door. I owe that kid, big time! Smidge was dry all day, save for one accident early on - for some reason, he refuses to believe you can put solids in the little potty - go figure. But otherwise, dry all day, even after naptime! YAY SMIDGE! Naturally, there is a high-fructose corn syrup-based incentive going on. He may end up diabetic, but by golly, he'll be wearing big-boy pants when he gives himself those injections!

Tonight, Zorak laid the cement blocks down where the HVAC was, and will be once again. This time, however, the hole will resemble - or at least hit an order of magnitude of - the unit that goes through the hole. What a concept! Lookin' good down there, too. He's made a lot of strides in the basement. He used all the extraneous lumber to build shelving - it's not "pretty", but it's wonderfully stable and fully functional. It is amazing how much stuff one rack can absorb!

John is reading everything he can get his hands on. Yet, if you ask him if he can read, he says, "No." WHAT?!? Ok, whatever works for ya, kiddo. However, when you put each child's idiosyncracies together, it gets awkward in public. James tells people "We don't go to school." (Yes, period - not "we homeschool", not "we're educated at home", heck, not even a nod toward education with "we study a lot on our own". Nope, he's gone back to saying simply, "we don't go to school".) John follows up with, "and I can't read" and that's about when Smidge starts laughing and yells, "I FARTED!" No wonder the best days are the days we stay home, no?

But it was good. Miss Emily rolled all over the boys' room today while I read aloud, Smidge ran trains over my head, and the older two played chess. We had a great discussion about moving at your own pace, being able to master any task they take on, and having the ability to enjoy branching out as we encounter things they will enjoy. When we finished the read-aloud, they both took their math books back out and did a second page for the day.

I'd requested a catalog from Greek 'n Stuff so that I could talk with Zorak about ordering "Hey Andrew..." for this summer. I shouldn't have looked. Can anybody compare Latin for Children with Latin's Not So Tough? Pretty please? I'd sold myself on LfC, particularly for James. But this looks like fun. (Truth be told, I want to take it and avoid Henle, but I won't. Whatever I order will be for the boys, and I will be a grown up about it and get my own program.) In the meantime, we're plugging along with PL review and enjoying the process itself.

And I hear the baby girl, so it's time to call it a night.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Aaaaand.... she's OUT!

Cold, that is. By nine o'clock last night.

I only wish it was a pleasant evening that included a cooling bath, a foot rub, a few chapters in Heart of Darkness, and some maybe a little teacher in-service. But, no.

It was a migraine. So, my early evening included grilling kabobs outside, having a whomper of a time trying to narrow my vision enough to actually grasp the kabobs with the tongs. (The dog was hoping against hope that I'd fail.) An evening of moving very s-l-o-w-l-y in the hope that nobody would spot me and rip my brains apart by actually speaking to me. Especially not the small one with his nasally little, "Maaa! MaaAAA!" (Where did he get that accent? Ugh.)

I nearly exploded as I pureed the tomatillo soup. Rather than deal with the hubbub of having the boys set the table, I set it myself in *relative* quiet, called everyone to come eat, then grabbed the baby and headed for the cool darkness of our room to nurse and pray for death. Death did not come (retrospectively, I'm glad for that), but I did, at one point, leave a confused and screaming infant when I bolted from the bed and dashed to the bathroom to sacrifice to the gods for a while. I would rather puke from illness than from pain, any day. That is truly miserable.

Zorak is appreciated regularly around here, but last night the man earned his service stripes. He rescued the abandoned infant, coordinated the eating-o-the-supper, navigated the bedtime routine, and kept the general noise level to a dull roar while I laid in bed, doing my best impression of a demonic possession. It's nice to know somebody is reassurring the children that Mommy will be fine, when Mommy just can't muster that much strength. He even put Miss Emily down for the evening. God bless him.

This morning, life is beautiful. Much of that has to do with the fact that it's back in focus, less jarring, and more navigable, I'm sure. If we had plans to go anywhere, they've been scrapped - Zorak noticed on his way to work this morning that I'd left the door wide open on the Suburban yesterday afternoon when we got home. (In my defense, the headache had started on the drive home, three of four children were asleep as we pulled in, and there were the groceries to unload - I was a little distracted. *sheepish grin*) So I think we'll hang out, read books, maybe mow a little more grass (that lawn is the landscape equivalent of an all-day sucker!) and play ball. Sort of an impromptu day, but not so bad. If it doesn't get too hot, we'll try doing lessons on the picnic table out back.

And I need another cup of coffee!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Well, it *looked* hot...

It got pretty warm this morning, so I closed up the windows in an attempt to keep the house relatively cool. It got so hot inside that the playdoh lost its structural integrity. It was playgruel. That's just gross. The dog had food and water, two loads of wash had already been hung, so we didn't venture outside at all. We just lingered on flat surfaces and wilted.

Then Zorak came home. And the breeze that followed him in was *~*~*heavenly*~*~*. What the--? When did it get so nice outside? I bolted out the door and sure enough, the air was cool and breezy. Well, you don't have to tell me twice! I switched out the wash, threw open the windows and stuck fans in most of them, then interrupted a rather intense game of MouseTrap to inform the boys that it is beautiful outside and I don't know when this will happen again, so go, go, GO! We then we spent the evening on the porch. That was really weird. But I'm thankful for the reprieve.

Tomorrow, we're ditching lessons to go run errands and play with friends. The boys did math, Latin, and reading on Saturday and Sunday this past week, in addition to our regularly scheduled work week, so we can afford to call a spare. What a great option that is to have!

Hey, does anybody know where one can still purchase training underpants? They are cut like regular little kid undies, but are thicker and more absorbent. (So the mess clings to the clothing, which is a far sight better than trailing it about the house.) I tried three different Wal-Marts and one Target, but they only carry regular undies in Very Small Sizes and those Pull-Ups. I bought the Pull-Ups, but they're a tad too absorbent to really engage the give-a-sh*t gear in a toddler.

Wow, and the dog has figured out how to open the front door if it's not deadbolted. (He just let himself in.) That would explain a lot... We also need to reinforce our fencing. He's found the neighbors, and the neighbors are not happy. I wouldn't be, either, if a 50-pound, snarling, ridgebacked moose came traipsing onto my property. So, that's a priority to be added to the top of the list. Lovely way to meet the neighbors. We should have invited them over before now, but they're related to the people who built the place and... yeah, it's just awkward all the way around. Maybe after we've had the place bush-hogged again and we've fixed the fencing, we'll slip over and invite them for coffee and a look at Balto's rabies tag?

OK, well, I am going to try to get a couple of hours of sleep without Miss Emily's company (she is wrecking havoc on my neck, and I can't move my head far at all - I look like I'm recovering from a particularly rough bout of spinal meningitis at the moment).

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Rollin', rollin', rollin'...

RAWHIDE!!

Of course, at the moment, I'm singing the Billy Crystal version, not the original. Weee-dawgies, am I sore! However, it's the excruciating pain of accomplishment, and so I will only whimper mildly and promise not to use swear words.

The Closet Room is now just about empty and ready for finishing. Who knew we had so much crap er, treasured material? That room had become the pat answer to the age old question, "Hey, what do you want me to do with this *insert random homeless item*?" From what I found today, it seems the answer is, "Just put it in the closet room and we'll figure it out later." Ah, well, who knew "later" meant "June 11th"? Now you know. And if you've been putting anything off until later, well, you missed it. And now you're behind the curve, so you'd best get on it, okay? Okay.

Did the thorough once-over on the boys' room: reorganized the bookshelf, culled the clothing, sorted/culled the toys, vacuumed, rearranged the closet, boxed and unboxed a number of boxy-like things, cleaned the ceiling fan. It looks much better now, and is just about ready for pictures. We're going to have to move Smidge and Miss Emily out of there soon, though - that poor room can't quite handle all the things and energy of three and a half children.

Zorak worked in the basement, worked on the icon shelf, changed the oil in the pick up, and hung the bow rack. Busy man, he. The soon-to-be-linen-closet is now sheetrocked and taped. The mud is drying and he'll put the second coat on tomorrow after work. It already looks scads better. I can't wait til we can put our linens in there and get them out of the hallway, the bathroom counter, the dresser tops. Yeah. That'll be nice.

Oh, and I'm SO excited! Zorak said he'd take the children for a few hours sometime before the HVAC guy comes back to set the units so that I can CLEAN! Yippee! I love teaching the boys how to do the daily things, but I must admit it's a quirky little thrill for me to clean when there are no children helping, no hubby meandering about, no toddlers coming in behind me to undo the work I've just done. And if I work quickly, I can usually get in half an hour to sit in a clean, quiet home with a good book and just enjoy looking up every couple of pages at the beautiful space around me. That's better than therapy and alcohol! *happy sigh* I love that man.

Today was really. stinking. hot. Thankfully, we did have water. Good stuff, all around. I brought out all of the family games we've purchased over the years (and spent good time and energy avoiding). But now, they're out. They are accessible. Smidge went nuts and I just melted when he asked, "Mama, play game with you?" So James, Smidge and I played a few games of dominoes before supper. Smidge "helped". James was very patient. John played a dinosaur memory game. He and Smidge built domino designs to knock down. It was, aside from the sweat pouring off our chins, quite idyllic. The chess set James got for his birthday last year was in the unearthed box, so it came out, as well. We'll add that to our afternoon relaxation time and see if we can develop any skill.

Zorak and I stood in the basement tonight, looking at all that still needs to be done and he said, "See that drain pipe over there? That's where we started." And I knew exactly what he meant. There is much still to be done, but it's nothing compared to what we have done already, and it's a good, good feeling. Standing arm-in-arm in a damp, disheveled basement, staring at pipes may not be everybody's idea of romance, but it did the trick this afternoon. How could I not be totally in love with a man who would do all this for his family?

And on that note, I am going to take a much-needed shower, check on the babies, and hit the hay. Have a splendid week!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

The Kids Must Think We Hate Them

Here's what the day looked like, from their perspective:

Hey, kids! It's Saturday and Mom and Dad are unconscious! How long can you go without eating actual food?

And then, once they'd been fed and dressed;

You know what, kids? It's over 100 degrees today! Let's go from hot, un-air-conditioned antique shop to hot, un-air-conditioned antique shop... for hours!

Not that things looked any more promising at home...

The monster in the basement has taken Daddy! You won't see him today! That swearing and crying? No, no, he'll be fine... just fine...

We returned from the shopping trip without a dresser for Miss Emily, who is going to think we don't like her if, when she's old enough to remember this, she is still getting her clothes out of the boxes they were shipped in.

Well, now that you are thoroughly sweaty and probably dehydrated, why don't you go play in the dirt for a bit before supper? Yeah, that sounds like fun, doesn't it? Hup, hup, it's not getting any cooler out there!

You can wash your hands when you get --- Oh, no, strike that! We don't have any water. Ha ha. Silly children! No crying, now, go play while Mommy prepares something unidentifiable for supper.

**later, at supper**

Yes, it's cold. It's a salady... thing. Isn't it lovely to eat a cold supper on a hot, hot day? What do you care what's in it? It has protein. And it's probably good for you. No, we still don't have any water. Yes, that is something we take for granted, isn't it? No, you can't drink from the toilet. That's for company and emergencies, Honey.

Zorak and I were up late Friday night, working on the house. We're getting old and have developed a partial paralysis that kicks in shortly after the sun comes up. It's exacerbated by late night exertion. The kids held out pretty well on the food. I do believe they grazed from the counter, although there wasn't anything edible left out on the counter...

I did give them the pre-emptory antique-shop warning before venturing forth on the shopping trip. They did phenomenally well, actually, and received goodies, hugs, and plenty of compliments from all the shop owners. Well, all but that one that hates children, no matter how well behaved and polite they are. I think the boys decided the shops were worth it just to sit in the air-conditioned Suburban between stops.

While I ran the boys through the gauntlet, Zorak moved the water heater. He re-configured the pipes, and made a new manifold (the plastic PEX manifolds we purchased in December have not held up well to the ever-changing ecosystem of the basement, and for some reason unknown to all but the corporate moles who've bought stock in the company in order to force a hostile takeover in the future, Zurn refuses to make their brass manifolds available for purchase - so, fine, we'll just make some, then! Thhhbbttttt!!!)

This probably wouldn't have been much of an inconvenience (relatively speaking - he had it worse than we did, I'm sure) if he'd started before noon. But when you don't start major reconfiguring until noon, then there is no water for... drinking, cooking, bathing, merely washing your hands... until, oh, around midnight. And that can be a little rough when you have children, and it's in the triple digits both inside and outside the house.

Miss Emily probably had it the hardest. She was hot and miserable all day. And, being miserable, she relied heavily on her instinct that tells her being held will make her feel better. We call that *painful irony*. Sometimes instinct misses the mark by a hair or two, doesn't it?

So it was a long day for everyone involved. But, in the end, we are that much closer to having a/c, the children did comment on how much we take for granted (like cold water, specifically), how much they appreciate all we have (again with the cold water), nobody got lost... or ran off. We'll have a nice, long drive in the cool air of the vehicle tomorrow. After everyone's been bathed and fed, of course.

;-)

Some days it's all you can do to say, "Yay, it's over! We made it!" this was one of those days. I think I'll go whisper positive things in the children's ears before I head to bed.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy