10 ways to keep busy...

while mom is packing and cleaning:
10- Watch DORA!
9- Yell at the dog.
8- Play with the 3 remaining toys mom left out for you.
7- Steal food from the fridge.
6- Pull all the toilet paper off the roll.
5- Write on your body.
4- Unpack boxes mom is nearly done with.
3- Make up goofy songs.
2-Pee on your brother's bed.
1-Stick a styrofoam peanut piece up your nose.
Yes, these are thanks to C! What a nut! Just for the record the styrofoam peanut was easily blown out when the other nostril was plugged. H really hasn't participated in many of these activities (except cartoon watching). He begs to help, so I put him to work instead.

Heat

Not the kind you might be thinking, but the kind Yoda has been waiting for for about 6 months. Yoda's gal pal is in heat! This means next week he has a special date...and then time will tell if he is a daddy. We are very happy for him, and excited to see if we get to play with a litter of puppies without dealing with them all the time! In other Yoda news we bought a shock collar system to try out with Yoda to avoid putting in on a leash and putting a fence in at the new house. It wasn't cheap, but it is cheaper than a fence and more reasonable than tying him up or running after him all the time (as if we could really catch him). We have 30 days to trial it, and we can return it in that time if it doesn't work. John and I are very excited to see his reaction when he gets the first jolt when running away. Hahahahaha (that was an evil laugh). I am not an animal abuser though, he is just a pain sometimes and it is time for payback. For those of you worried about the system we are using it does give auditory and visual warnings to keep the dog within the boundaries. Most dogs only experience the harmless jolts a couple of time and then they are trained! Will Yoda be one of them?

Things I want to remember...

I have been thinking about this for a few days. C is at a really cute stage (well some times anyway). She does and says really silly things and some of them are just things I know she won't do for long, so I better record them now. H is usually very sweet as well, and there are a few things he does that I am sure won't last long either.
C:
*The way she talks to her babies. It goes something like this "honey it's ok, don't cry I will get you some num nums and then you can go to sleep later."
*The way she gets into laughing fits with H. This is one of my favorites. When J and I catch them we usually break out into one as well. Yesterday they broke into one every time H said "Dancing danish". Doesn't make sense to me, but maybe if you picture a danish dancing you will see it.
*The way she apologizes when she has an accident. "Sorry mom I didn't mean to...I won't do it again." I always know she won't keep her promise, but when she says it she is so sincere.
*The way she begs to be on the counter anytime I am cooking. It is probably to taste test, but I like to think she wants to be with me.
*The way she announces "I like you". She also announces when she likes someone better than another person, we are trying to stop that one.
*The way she lights up when Dora comes on. I know many girls go through this stage, but I honestly think she believes Dora is her best friend. The way she talks to the TV throughout the show and always announces that Dora is her favorite part at the end. Last night she claims her dream was about Dora - wouldn't doubt it for a second.
*The way she renames herself. Today her name is Suki, the other day it was Hussey. If you call her the wrong name...she WILL correct you!
H:
*The way he holds me to my word...don't you dare mention anything you might do if you don't plan to carrying it out soon.
*How he wakes me in the morning begging to start a cleaning project I talked about doing. This one is a bit annoying at the time, but I am sure soon he won't want to help me at all!
*The way he tries to involve his sister in what he does.
*The way he loves to be with his dad. This week J made him a sword. You should have heard the squeals. I was just thinking man how long until he hurts someone with that - then John announced you can only fight the air, not hitting people or things.
*The way he looks for my approval with just about anything he does. It can be very sweet and others often comment on it.
*The way he is such a big helper. He probably does as many chores around the house as I do some days.
Mostly I just love my kids. They are super. One more quick story. This past week (or maybe the one before I am losing track) J called me to have the kids come over and spread hay in the backyard over the grass seed he put down. This is what people do here. I took the kids over and they had a blast. You would have thought it was Disney World the way they were screaming and playing. John and I were very pleased that they could find something so simple fun. They ended up messy since it started raining, but the fun lasted the whole time. Just picture them running around throwing hay everywhere!

odds & ends

Lots of new posts follow this one, so if you have time...catch up with us. I turned in another draft of my paper to my advisor today. I love the feeling I get when I turn it over to him. I think it is from knowing I won't be looking at it again until I get his input. The break is lovely! Today I spent time watching a friends kids so she could take one of her little ones to a mom & me swim lesson. Then we went to the university to drop off my paper, stop at the library and pick up prescriptions. The kids were exceptionally grouchy, which made the other errands a little annoying. We finally made it home after a few other stops around 2:00. Then I packed! Yes, again. I feel like this is becoming a yearly event! Hopefully I will get a couple of years off before I need to pack again - or maybe I will get a smoking job offer and they will pack for me. I am probably dreaming, but it's one of my favorite past times :) I am sure the next week or so will be spent either helping J, or packing. Hopefully the kids will be in a good mood!

Swim lessons

Both kids are currently in swim lessons. C had a rough start. She cried the entire first lesson. Lesson 2 she cried unless the teacher held her. Lesson 3 she cried some but mostly just when she had to hold onto the wall. Lesson 4 - NO CRYING! Wow, I was excited. Especially since H spent all his time telling me "Mom! C is crying, go get her!" He is very protective. She has done well getting used to lessons. Already she will jump in the water, put her face in the water and blow bubbles (but only for a short time), kick and move her arms some, and float on her back. I am pleasantly surprised. H has done well. The first lesson he was a little hesitant, but he has been swimming with just a noodle most of the lessons. His biggest problem is that he tries to swim vertical instead of horizontal. I think this is so his face won't get wet. He is jumping in by himself to a noodle or the teacher, and he is having a great time. I only got one photo that wasn't blurry, so I will post more later. I am debating putting them in the next session, we'll see. Oh, forgot to mention C really loves watching the gymnastics class while H is in his lesson. Maybe she can try that next.

Sunday in the park....

I think it was the 5th of July. In our wonderful small town they have concerts each Sunday evening in the park. They call it the summer jazz series. So far we have been to see the community band (mostly retired individuals playing big band music), a jazz band, and folk band is coming up along with a few others. It is a nice way to spend a Sunday evening especially when you take a picnic. The kids love it and I would enjoy it a lot more if I didn't feel like they were disturbing all the concert goers. (Nearly 90% of the people there are eligible for AARP.) We usually end up at the swings so we can make more noise, but still enjoy the music. Photos are of one trip to the Sunday concert in the park.

4th of July

We had a nice 4th of July. We went to a ward picnic where the kids rode on horses, and we lit fireworks with fun friends from church. We only had one casualty - a spark landed on C's toe. (Sandals are not a good choice when doing fireworks.) Only bummer about the day was that J wasn't there to enjoy the day with us since he was in WV for regionals. Maybe next year we will be together, or we will have family visitors to blow things up...hint, hint. Photos of H & C on the horse. C snuggling after her toe was hurt.

Getting close

So just a few more things to finish on the house before J expects he will be able to pass inspection. That doesn't mean the house is done, but it does mean we should be able to move in by the end of the month. Yipee! Hopefully the floors will be done before move in. I don't really want to deal with that after we move. For the next couple of weeks I will be packing again. I think I am almost a pro. 

Quick update

John is back...hallelujah! My paper is progressing (another draft to my advisor in a week). The house should be ready to move in to at the end of the month. The kids are taking swim lessons. I am attending a training next week for the autism conference at the beginning of August. So for a little while I am going to be busy packing, writing, working, and watching kids. I apologize in advance that you will have to wait for a 4th of July posting, swimming post, and house post. Maybe in a week or so. Until then...back to work!

Just mom

J is out of town in WV for soccer regionals. He has been gone for 3 days now, only 4 to go. We miss him tons! I totally understand why parenting is a two person job. Since he has been gone we have gone to Disney World, rescued 10 kittens, fed 40 homeless men, and bought 5 new pairs of shoes. Ok, so maybe we didn't do that, but we have been busy. You never know what we might do though, when the cat's away the mice will play. Really we have had fun, but also been working hard. I read two books (tv pickins' are poor right now), worked on my paper (the same one yes, but version 300 or something now), mopped the wood floors, washed the carseat (accident), took the kids to a dollar movie, went to a free reptile show at the library, went on a bike ride, and had a picnic (no crumbs inside that way). We will really miss him tomorrow when we play with fireworks, that is definitely a dad duty. It is a little fun when he is gone, but not as fun as when he is home. Hurry home!

Two front teeth

H lost his second tooth. He has now lost two of his front teeth, but the new ones are quickly growing in. I don't think the bottom teeth really count for the song, but what can you do? He was excited to show off his new smile for the camera, but we took it a bit close, so it is blurry (phone photo). He was very concerned about getting it under his pillow, and freaked out this morning when he couldn't find the tooth or a dollar - did the tooth fairy forget???? NO, it just fell on the floor. Maybe tape next time? Oh, and the way those teeth are coming in...braces and quality orthodontic insurance is in our future.

A New Trick

H learned a new trick - yes he is now a tree climber. He didn't care for all the poky branches in the tree on the way up and he had one melt down on one trip down, but he had a good experience the rest of the time. Plus, it gave me the chance to tell the story about Uncle John playing Superman in the tree. Don't think H will be trying that.

C is 3

So I am bit behind, but here are some photos of C's bday celebration. She was incredibly goofy all day, so the photos aren't her best.
First we had her requested dinner - hot dogs without the bun and extra ketchup. Ok, well that is what she ate, but we all had grilled chicken and veggies instead. Then we opened gifts. She got poptarts, fruit loops, a princess cape, a tutu (both made by mom thanks to free internet tutorials), a barbie from Harrison, and a bike we found at the garage sale. I spent yesterday putting on the training wheels, which didn't turn out perfectly. I think John will need to adjust them. So far she only knows how to break. We have a bit to learn, don't we? She also got a ton of cards, which made H a bit jealous, he loves mail. Lastly we ate cake. She wanted pink so I made jello poke cake. She blew her candles out before the song was even started. What a quick learner! We had some friends over to celebrate and it was a great night. Only thing is...seems my dream of her maturing overnight was a bit overzealous. Not quite there yet.