Mark today, August 15, 2010, as the first time Alivia, 6yr, and Asher, 2yr, rode on the motorcycle. Okay, they did not ride far (they went around the block), nor did Chris drive very fast (topping at 10-20mph), but both Alivia and Asher loved Daddy's motorcycle!
Yesterday, we traveled to my hometown to visit my parents and to visit the new town playground. This is a big deal considering the slides that were there were there when my Mom was a little girl. With that said, I do not think they should have sold them!
Anyway, the park is fun now! It is now equipped with playground equipment that we have not seen in Omaha or Papillion! It is really nice. We just hope that people take care of it.
It was a nice visit to the park and then to my parents. Asher got his hair cut and they all got to play. The ride home...was very quiet. What a fun day!
While other kiddos went back to school, we were enjoying Alivia's last week of summer break. We visited 3 pools, our third being today to Oak Hills Country Club. There were only a handful of people there, so it was awesome! And, Daddy came along with us! Cousins Henry and Ben were already there swimming with Grandma and Grandpa, so the kids were able to play with them for a bit, too. It was really fun! This pool is the only one I could get Chris to go to all summer. Nice and quiet is his perfect place to be.
Alivia has really advanced this summer. She swims with less fear. Next summer hopefully she will perfect her stroke. She even jumped off the diving board and swam to the side. This is a big deal for a little girl afraid of the water.
Addison has improved some. At Zorinsky yesterday, she relaxed a little and moved her arms and kicked her legs. She even jumped in off the side. Now today, she would not hardly get her toes wet. She cried when I insisted that she get in the water. We will see how she does in swimming lessons in 2011. We plan on putting Addison and Asher in lessons together.
Asher has less fear than the girls. Perhaps it is a boy thing. He is now able to jump in from the side and go under. He is not swimming underwater as he swims though, opting to kick his legs and move his arms well while I hold him. He has amazed me with his lack of fear and complete trust in Chris and I. He is so much different than our timid girls!
I believe I will keep up the swimming through the winter months. We love the water and just can not let go of summer!
Today we FINALLY visited the Zorinsky Aquatic Center. We arrived right at noon and the pool was at capacity by 12:30. It was seriously hot at 96 (but our car said 106 when we got in after swimming!). We had heard that if you do not arrive at noon that it may be at capacity, and that is no joke, even with some schools back in session!
The pool itself is a much smaller version of the Fremont Pool. It has a little kid slide station much like what is found at Fremont (but not as nice really), zero entry without the splashing water as you come in (much better for the little ones) and 2 huge water slides. The pool itself is so small. Really, why did they make it so small? At capacity, it was not near as crowded as Papio Bay, though. We could move in the water and there was space on the sides of the pool to jump and play. With that said, the Mommies block the zero entry and the sides, which is kinda annoying. But, on a day like today, who could blame them.
Alivia loved the slide station, selecting the tube slide as her favorite. She swam within view but independently going down the slides. Addison and Asher played near the slides in the zero entry or in the area below where the tube slide came out. They did not care where they were at really. We then played in the deeper areas (4 foot - the pools deepest area is 6 ft or something and there is no diving). Alivia likes to jump in and swim. It took Addi a long time just to get in but she is getting better with relaxing and being less of a board in water. I think she is becoming less afraid, finally. Asher has little fear. He likes to jump in off the side and swim around, while I hold him up of course. Addi and Asher will take lessons in the spring. I believe that by next summer, Asher will no longer want to swim with Mommy...Wah! There will always be Addison...right?
It was a fun afternoon. With temperatures so hot, I could have stayed there all day. Addison was getting tired, so we had to go.
Want to visit Zorinsky's Pool? Items to bring:
Sunscreen, towels, swimsuit (obvious) and swim diapers for the babies
Cash: As with all the pools we visited, cash and sometimes checks are all that is accepted.
Pool toys - Zorinsky's zero entry offers a great space for the little ones to play with their buckets and pool toys.
Snacks and drinks - Yeah...another pool that allows coolers! I did not know that, but I did bring in snacks and a drink anyway. People had larger coolers in there. That is such a perk!
Also, you may want to bring your own chair. I could care less because I can sit on a towel and like to bring in as few things as possible since I go alone (and typically am carrying a child). But, I saw people bring in chairs. There is a shortages of chairs and shade at this pool.
So, this summer we visited Oak Heights, Papio Bay, Fremont Pool, Oak Hills Private Pool (Grandma and Grandpa's pool), and now Zorinsky. We like Fremont probably best...but it is just too far away from us now. We really like Oak Heights and that is probably our favorite. The slides there are great for the kids (Addi and Asher just love them). The pool just has a lot to offer and is rarely at capacity. Next year Alivia may be ready for the bigger slide there or even the diving boards! So, next would be Zorinsky. For our kids' age ranges, it is fun. The slide area is not so good for Addi and Asher who want to go down the slide without the threat of water being dumped on their heads (Addi went down once and Asher went down three times). Fremont is like that, too. The dumping tower at Zorinsky is much smaller than Fremont, but you still get VERY wet for a very long time. It about knocked Asher to the ground when it hit us when we were not expecting it. Oak Hills would be next, but it is private country club pool. We liked the peace and quiet of going there the one time we visited. We would like to go tomorrow again if the rain holds off. I am not sure I would even put Papio Bay on the list. It was awful and unsafe. We will probably just skip visiting there next year. Seriously, they need to close at capacity so people can swim! Papio Bay is closest to us but we only visited there once. That says a lot.
We had a fun summer in the water. We hope to go to the pool weekly again next summer! Until then...
A month or so ago, I ran out of dryer sheets. Around here, if I skip a couple days of laundry, I am behind for a week. So, I thought, "Whatever, I will just go without. What difference does it make anyway?"
Well, I have gone without for a month or longer. While Chris was home alone while the kids and I were at the lake, Chris actually (shocker) did a load of laundry! When he went to dry, he was shocked to find we did not have any dryer sheets.
Today I was at Target and was planning on picking up some dryer sheets. The smallest, tiniest box was like $4 or something. Seriously, for a piece of smelly paper? I wondered, how necessary are they anyway. So, I did not buy any and decided to Google..."Are dryer sheets necessary"
This is what I uncovered.
No. Dryer sheets contain a lot of chemicals just to prevent static. Fabric Softener is the not necessary either. It is full of chemicals and makes your clothes smell good, but at what cost exactly? Soap, clearly, is totally necessary. I splurge in this department and buy Tide Free. I may try Target's brand free now just to try it. But Tide works for us. I did read, which I already knew, that one does not have to use as much soap as the manufacturer recommends to get clothes clean.
I am not missing the dryer sheets at all at this point. With that said, it is summer. Things get dryer in the winter, so perhaps I will return to buying them then. For now...I learned that I have been wasting money and trees for a while now. Considering Addi and I require Free detergent and Dove soap, dryer sheets are like the worst things I could have been using anyway (who knew). So, I will now be saving just a few bucks by skipping the whole process. Now...if I could line dry my clothes (oh...clothes line dried smell amazing!) I would be in great shape. PS I have not used fabric softener in years!
Links on the articles I read...very interesting:
Not necessary
What are they for then? http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100325215317AAav5QZ
Not Necessary article 2
I know I know...big nerd girl here. But, while I investigated this, Addi and Asher fell asleep at nap!
This is the last week before Alivia returns to school and to the first grade. Where did the summer go anyway?
Well, Monday Grandma Bet and Boppa Bill were to take the girls shopping. Instead, they took all of us shopping because Chris was home sick in bed with the blisters on the throat virus. Lovely. So, we all packed in the van and shopped until we dropped. Grandma found a bunch of cute things for the kids and some things they could have done without (a few sparkle balls and a stuffed horse that the kids convinced Grandma and Grandpa that they had to have). It was a fun day. When we returned home, I went to take a picture of the kids with their things and the camera just died. I took a picture in the morning and it was fine. What happened? Who knows...I just know that Chris will be getting another one PRONTO so we can take pictures of Alivia's first day of 1st Grade. Anyway, after shopping, I took the kids to meet a classmate of Alivia's to play. The girls did not talk much...but I am hoping seeing one another will make them both more excited about starting school again. We will see.
Today we wanted to go to a pool. Addison woke up and ate breakfast normally. Then, she said she was really tired and nauseated. Oh no...not again. We are on day 12 of someone in this house being sick. Well, Addison took a 1 1/2 hour nap and woke up asking for lunch. She seemed fine and said she felt all better and wanted to go swimming. So, being the stupid Mommy that I am, I believed her. We packed up and went to Oak Heights, Addison's pick. The kids played and played for 2 hours. We came home, played, ate dinner, and all seemed fine. Then I had to leave to go to a safety class at church. Addi then said she was sick and was upset that I was leaving. I was not sure if she was really sick or just wanted me to stay. Well, I had to go. So, I had to leave sick Addi in the hands of sicker Daddy. Great. 2 1/2 hours later I returned to hear that Addi was quite sick while I was gone with vomiting and some lower GI disturbance. I swear...Addi is going to disappear! She is too tiny to be sick all the time.
Tomorrow is Alivia's shopping day with Grandma Kathy. Addi went last week and just loved her day alone with Grandma. She is still talking about it. So, tomorrow it is Alivia's turn.
Then we just have a few more days until Alivia's summer break will be over. Wah! This time of year is when I always want to look into home schooling. I miss the kids when they are at school!! So, we better soak up summer before it is done!
Now...I would share pictures...if only I had a camera!
Well, the cat is out of the bag. Chris and I have been "talking" about "maybe" having one more baby. Crazy? Yes, admittedly, it is crazy. All of our kids are now potty trained, in big beds, sleeping through the night, and have their own rooms. Why mess things up, right?
We are only considering at the moment and the cards are mostly falling on the "no" side. This would not be an issue at all if we had "fixed" things so it could not happen. I have had the baby urge for a while, and Chris always said that we were done. Whoever says no wins in this situation, so the talks ended. Then, an incident happened where we thought we were expecting our 4th...for a week actually. For some reason, that changed Chris' mind somewhat and he opened the talks back up again.
I am not going to write a pro and cons to having a 4th baby or anything but here is why we are considering yes and why we are considering no, in no particular order.
Yes:
* My Grandma Vera told me we were going to have 4 kids, 2 girls and 2 boys, just like she did. That stuck with me. Why did she think that just months before her passing?At the time, I laughed, "I think you are wrong on that one, Grandma," or was she?
* The girls would love another baby. We did take a vote, Alivia said no, keep things the way they are. Addison said yes. Asher said yes, but I don't think his vote should count. I asked him, he said yes, then asked if he could have more cocoa puffs. I am not sure he even knows what we are talking about!
* Because we can. There is always room in a heart and home for another baby...isn't there?
No:
* One more means a whole lot more of a lot of things...clothes, money spent on activities, college, weddings, vacations, etc etc. Seriously, to eat out we would have to sell a kidney. Who are we kidding anyway, we don't eat out now because our kids don't eat when we eat out unless we get McDonalds, Subway, or Mamas Pizza.
* Overwheming perhaps.
* We just moved and our kids are already stressed STILL from that. We hate to throw more stress at them with another baby. Let's face it, babies are quite stressful to siblings.
* We are old. This is a major factor. If we had baby number 4, Chris would be 44 and I would be 41 when the child entered Kindergarten! Seriously, some people are grandparents at 44! We would like to have our kids grown and out of the house (if at all possible) before we enter assisted living.
* We are all adjusted. The kids have their rooms and their beds. We would have to toss things up a bit after the baby was born once we knew if baby was a boy or girl. Who would have to get bunk beds? Would they mind after having their own room? The kids are all situated now, sleep through the night, and are potty trained. Are we up for doing it again? They say the adjustment is the most difficult from 2 to 3 kids (which was difficult) and from 3 to 4 is not as difficult. But, I find that hard to believe. Mommy and Daddy are even more outnumbered.
Clearly, at this point, the no's outweigh the yes's. Chris and I don't think we would regret our decision either way...but for now we are sitting tight with our family of 5 and feel quite blessed. Well, as long as God agrees with us.
Well, if it is between a vacation for Chris and I or having a baby, I better start planning that vacation for Chris and I.
Today we attended the Waddell & Reed Day at the Zoo with Chris' parents and Chris' brothers kids. I think everyone in Omaha and the surrounding communities was at the zoo today...it was crazy! With our special yellow arm bracelet, we were able to go on the carousel, train, IMAX and a picnic lunch for free! It was wonderful! It was super hot, but we adjusted. The crowds were more annoying than the heat.
We visited the gorillas and the bears before making our way to the carousel. I can't remember when the last time was I took the kids on the carousel, and I really don't know why we don't do it more! The kids loved it! Next we went to the petting zoo before making our way to the line for the train, which did not open until 11. We got right on with our yellow wrist bans (awesome!) and took the full route. We love the train! You get to see so many animals on the train without marching all over in the heat. Next we went by the seals before catching the Waddell & Reed Lunch. It was a good lunch, but of course our kids ate chips and the cookies.
After lunch, the kids played on the Rainbow play sets right there by the seals. We then decided to beat the heat and see an IMAX. Bummer...the next one showing at 1 was BUGS in 3D. Oh well...better than nothing, so we signed up and got in yet another line.
Chris and I found the show interesting, but it was not very kid friendly. I find 3D cool, but it is not at all for kids. Alivia did okay, Addison slept, and the 3D glasses were way too big for Asher. Without the glasses, the show is difficult to watch at best. It was nice to sit for 45 minutes in the cool air enjoying the movie though. Sorry, I love IMAX, even if it is about disgusting bugs, mating bugs and the like.
After the movie, we were all beat. Time to go home.
We had an amazing day at the zoo! Seriously, we had so much fun! I would not have missed this day for anything! Weekends are just not the time to visit if you want to go inside of any displays with a stroller. There are just too many people. On our way to the IMAX, we even witnessed a little boy get his arm caught in the automatic doors! Just too many people!
Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for inviting us and thanks to Justin (our financial adviser, justingibson@wradvisors.com). What a treat! We are ready for repeat anytime!
I am having one of those days...Shoulda Coulda Woulda days, ya know? I have been having more of these days lately.
First, we got our real estate tax bill. YIKES! Instead of our mortgage going up the predicted $400 a month, it is going up over $700 a month (The county tax assessed our home for more than we paid for it which could never have been predicted in this market!). Um, I don't like this area THAT much! Then, every week, I mow the lawn for 1 hr and 25 minutes (no joke...it takes AT LEAST that long) and Chris trims for another hour. Good thing we have nothing better to do. We could buy a rider...but it would have to fit through the fence gates. <Sigh> That does not include all the sidewalks we have to shovel at this place during the winter. <Sigh> Then there is this big house to clean and maintain. Ugh.
Seriously, what were we thinking anyway?! I want to spend my days playing with the kids and spend our money on our kids - not on REAL ESTATE TAXES!
I give us three years max. Then, we will downsize...in Iowa.
Last Thursday I took the kids to the Omaha Children's Museum.
Friday morning, Addison woke up with a sore throat and Alivia was vomiting. Nice. Went to the Dr. for Addi (Alivia was fine by the mid afternoon). The pediatrician said the strep test was negative, but he would culture. He gave Addi an antibiotic because she had all the symptoms of strep with little blisters on the back of her throat. It looked awful! He said he would call if it was not positive, that is how positive he was that it would be positive. Well, I never heard from him and just figured it was. And, within 48 hours, she was better. Or, at least over that portion of the symptoms.
Next came Asher. He had some lower GI issues Saturday and Sunday and was extremely clingy and crabby. Extremely. Oh, and he had a nice little fever (103 range) to go along with everything. Nice.
Sunday Alivia had a fever (102-103) and did not eat, but she never eats. She was really lethargic, but really did not have any other complaints. Said she felt better by bedtime. Tuesday she said she was fine, but we had a play date. I am not sure how much was acting. Asher was into day 4 of being a cling on, but he freaked when I tried to take his temp (but he felt okay to the touch). So, who knows. Tuesday night, Alivia was a mess and was sent to bed. She complained of a sore throat and a blister on her lip. Wednesday, again, another play date, Alivia said she was fine. She played on and off but I could tell she was not to par. She collapsed when her friend left. By today though, she is better. No more sore throat. Oh...and this strange blister was the leading complaint on Tuesday...but I did not think anything of it.
Tuesday night, Addison was awake a large portion of the night with vomiting. She is so tiny, I do not know where she gets her energy. She wakes and can not wait to go shopping with Grandma Kathy on Wednesday. Her temp was normal, so Chris tells me to send her. He knew that telling her she could not go would ruin her day! She had a little GI bout that day but has been fine since. Knock on wood.
Wednesday...I am sick too. I got worse by the evening. I noticed when I went to bed that I have blisters all over the back of my tongue. My friend reports her kids had this while on vacation last week, complaining their tongues hurt. Well, I have blisters on my throat, too. By this morning, Thursday, my gums and cheeks are swollen. Lovely. I feel exhausted. This is the second day I have not ran and I rarely skip 2 days in a row. I am just a mess. Tonight, I feel better somewhat. I am still drinking a lot of ice water (feels good. Juice burns the throat something awful) and eating ice cream like there is no tomorrow. Too bad I can not taste it.
So, as the kids went to bed tonight, Alivia and Addison claim to be all better. This is the first day Alivia has gone without medicine in a while. She was asking for something for a fever, headache or something all week. And, she rarely asks for medicine (she hates it). Addison is always the last to tell me anything, but she claims to be healthy, too. Asher, he was raring to go today. He is still being a cling on, but who knows what that is about. He told me, "Don't leave me Mommy," when I put him to bed. What? What does that mean? Really weird. So, I am sitting in my rocking chair in our bedroom while he falls asleep at the very end of his bed so he can watch me. Ahhh...Mommy love. :)
Meanwhile...Chris is fine. Totally fine (knock on wood).
Let's just say...the Children's Museum is not my favorite place at the moment. We did not have THAT much fun! I had big plans for the last weeks of summer...and being sick was not in the mix. At least I finished the back to school shopping today...online.
I completed our family vacation album to the Graybill Getaway 2010. When I completed it, I had been awake for several hours and wanted Chris to proof it before ordering. Well, in the 2 days it took him to proof it and me to get back to it, the 30% off + free shipping sale was over. So, needless to say, I still do not have the album. But, it is done whenever Shutterfly offers up another sale!
Here is the vacation album and here is to looking forward to next year already!.
Seriously...I am a little behind.
July was a busy month. We had a lot of playdates mixed in with our usual fun trips to the many places we enjoy locally. Then, we spent 12 days at the Lake. What fun. And, Addison is now 4 years old. Crazy how quickly our kids are growing up!
Here are the pictures from the month...
JULY PICTURES
Now that we are 6 months into 2010, it is time to evaluate how we are doing on our 2010 goals. Eeck...kinda forgot about them this year. Oops.
1. Invest more, spend less: We have had to spend a lot of money on our home, so this has been difficult. We have canceled the drop in the bucket called cable and started to save $30/week extra (an extra $10/child/week) for college. With our out-of-sight per year real estate taxes coming up, this will become more and more challenging.
2. Finish the Austin 2008 & 2009 photo book and FINALLY finish Addison's 1st year scrapbook (that I am doing by hand - not digital): 2008 - check. 2009 - I am working on December so almost done. Addison's first year...well, not done. At least she has a digital one.
3. Family vacation and a trip for Chris and I. Well, we enjoyed 2 family vacations and we have one more outing scheduled for 2010. As for Chris and my trip - we are either going to have another baby or take a trip. That is still up in the air. :)
4. Have all our kids (including Chris) potty trained. CHECK!! Yeah! Well, Chris is always a work in progress.
5. I have a goal of my own...to take better care of myself. I am getting tired of feeling like a slumpy mommy. It is time I start combing my hair, wearing more make up and wearing clothes without spit up stains on them: Well...I have not really done this. It is just enough to keep the house cleaned and the kids clothed. I guess I have something to work on in the next 5 months.
7. Eat healthier, cook more, & exercise: Always a work in progress. Chris and I are both working out/running regularly, however challenging. Out eating...well, it needs work.
Alivia is progressing towards her goal of reading more, just completing the Summer Reading Program. Addison did not give up her taggie before she turned 4, unfortunately. And, Asher has been potty trained.
Better get to work in the next 5 months before 2011 is here.
We are now a family without a crib for the first time in 6 years. Okay, this was a very sad moment for me! Our babies are all growing up. Asher probably wants to be a big boy most of all, so it was time to move up.
We had a bed we purchased from Ethan Allen when Alivia was a baby for our spare room. Clearly, we filled our spare room and did not have room for the bed. So, Chris' parents have been storing the bed in their basement for years. Finally, the time had come for Asher, now 2 1/2 year old, to move from the crib to his "new" bed.
Daddy and Boppa Bill went and picked up the bed on Friday. Saturday morning, the moment I dreaded finally came. Daddy took down the baby crib and to make room for Asher's new bed. Asher loves his new bed, and so do we. It looks great in his room.
Asher slept in his new bed for the first time last night. He went right to sleep and slept until 7:30 this morning (which is sleeping in for Asher!). This morning he told me how he liked his bed and it's airplane comforter. Now...we have to get the rest of his room decorated, finally. Oh, and now our home has a twin bed in Alivia's room, full sized bed in Addison's room, queen sized bed in Asher's room and a king sized bed in our room. Seriously, all we are missing is a crib (which we have in the house) and bunk beds!
As for the crib, I agreed to put into storage but not sell it. I will sell it when I am 40 or whenever I am good and ready, whichever comes first.
This morning we visited the Omaha Children's Museum. We were invited to go in the afternoon, but we really needed naps today.
We started upstairs at the Clifford exhibit. It was not too busy at first and the kids were really having fun. Then, Clifford himself came to visit! I guess he visits on Thursdays and Saturdays. How fun! So, the kids got to give him a hug and get a blurry picture taken with my phone since my camera sat on the kitchen counter. Asher was scared of him, but still gave the Big Red Dog a high five.
We played downstairs in the play space and the ball room until lunch time, when Addi said, "Mommy, I am tired today."
I hope we get to visit again before Alivia goes back to school. Am I the only one that hates to see summer end and school start?
Yesterday was member's day at the zoo. The kids had just went to the zoo on Monday with Grandma Kathy, but we had a play date with the Vintons that the kids were really excited about.
We met up with them at 10 and it was not quite unbearably hot yet. We went through the upper and lower floors of the jungle. I had not been on the lower floor in years since it is not always stroller friendly. The temperature was more reasonable and less humid actually. It was fun to see the animals downstairs. I did not remember all they had down there!
We next visted some outdoor exhibits on our way to our picnic next to the Rainbow play systems. It was nice and hot for my friend Laura who is expecting their third baby is 5 weeks. She is very brave! After lunch, Addison stepped in a huge hole of mud and immediately wanted to go home. She had a short bout of the stomach flu on Tuesday, so she just was not acting 100% of herself.
So, shortly after lunch, we made our way out of the zoo. It was a fun morning, and we got some train passes for our next visit!
I had a deal with Chris and the kids.
IF THE CAT GOES, WE CAN GET A FISH.
We have been having trouble with our cat since we moved. She is refusing to poo in her liter box. Seriously, new house, poo poo all over it? Not a good combo. I would have gotten rid of the cat immediately if we did not have kids and the humane society was a bit closer. We have tried EVERYTHING to no avail.
Well, Saturday I awoke from my nap (I had to work an overnight shift Saturday night, so I napped with Asher so I can stay awake all night), there was something new Alivia wanted to show me.
A Beta they named Nemo (But NEMO was NOT a Beta!).
So, I had to ask, "Where is Piper?"
Oh, she was downstairs. They bought more pet supplies to keep her from pooping all over. Nice. Someone did not understand If Then statements in school.
So, today I have 2 pets to care for - a cat who continues to poop in our basement and a fish. Lovely. Here's to hoping they both escape so I can go back to just being a mom.
It's official, we are finally a diaperless household! We have been buying diapers for over 6 years! Let me tell you, I love not having to buy them, but I do miss having babies around (bitter sweet really).
As I mentioned, Asher officially finished potty training at the lake. He was more or less trained before the lake, but I really have to stay on top of the game in order to prevent accidents. If I instructed him to go potty at THE perfect time, he would go #2 in the potty. Otherwise, he would just go in his undies (yuck!). There were times that I caught him as he was going and he would finish his duty on the potty, so he was slowing getting it. By the time we arrived at the lake...he just got it. We are not sure what it is about the lake. Perhaps it is being in swimming trunks and in the water most of the time. We really were not in clothes much. Maybe he just did not want to go in his swimming trunks. I don't really know...but I am glad it clicked for him. Asher has continued his success at home, and is excited as ever to tell me when he has success in the potty.
Now...if I could just get the cat back to being potty trained. Perhaps we should have brought her to the lake!
This morning was such a nice morning, we decided to go and visit the Fontenelle Forest and the Bug exhibit again. We arrived to the shaded forest and it was actually cool. Weird to feel cool after feeling so hot for so long. The bugs were still there and the kids checked them out as we walked the trails. Daddy wanted walk the trail to the river, but we turned back after the real bugs began to attack even with our bug spray on. Gees! The kids love playing in the acorn acres area and could play in the dirt for hours.
It was a fun morning. It is always fun to go to the Forest. The Forest membership and the zoo pass are one of the best Christmas gifts we get all year because they are the gifts that keep on giving month after month.
Until next month...
Daddy got to enjoy 7 days of peace and quiet while the kids and I were at the lake. He arrived home Friday at 6 and we returned Thursday around 4. So...what did Daddy do?
Well, I don't even know for sure. When he arrived home, he mowed, trimmed and watered our trees. Over the weekend, he adjusted to the quiet space of our home and caught up on his work so he had less to do when he returned on Monday.
During the week, he helped his Dad do some work on their deck one night, took a nap one night, and mowed again before I returned so I did not have to do it (thank you!).
Although he would never admit it, I believe he did enjoy his peace and quiet. Believe me, the noise quickly returned when we arrived home and Daddy new his alone time was over. Well, at least for 16 or so more years.
