Game 1

Josh's first game was a loss to Bloomington. While disappointing, it was definately exciting for all of us. When I asked DH if he was ready (to leave for the game), he said, "I have been ready for this day for YEARS!" LOL!!

Dressing for the game

Now that Josh is a member of the basketball team, there are certain rules he must follow. He has to keep his grades up so that he will continue to be eligible to play. He cannot have any behavior referrals. Anyone who knows Josh even just a little, knows that these are the kinds of things that come naturally to Josh. Never once have we worried that he would have academic or behavior issues that would interfere with sports eligibility.

Clothing is another matter. Josh's daily uniform consists of athletic swishy pants, a tshirt, and a hoodie. Now that he is on the basketball team, he must dress up for games, especially for games out of town. Dressing up means....slacks, buttons down shirts and NO tennis shoes! Sooooo, this meant a shopping trip was in order, since he didn't own anything that would meet the requirements. We headed out on Saturday afternoon to accomplish the goal of purchasing at least 2 outfits that he could wear.

Four hours later, we returned home with 2 pairs of pants, 3 shirts, a belt and shoes. We learned a few things along the way....

• they stop making slim pants at size 12 (Josh needs at least a 14 for length, but regular pants are entirely too big around the waist);
• men's dress shoes are a lot more expensive that kids' shoes (Josh is wearing a size 7 1/2 mens shoe now); and
• Josh looks terrific all dressed up!

I'll try to post a picture sometime when he is forced into actually wearing the dress clothes. Until then, he has hidden them in the back of the closet. Apparently he thinks that if he can't see them, they will not come out and haunt him!

Three days....

of basketball tryouts....

and.....

JOSH MADE THE TEAM!!!!!!!!!!

He's 10....where has the time gone??

Jake turned 10 on Labor Day.....

I cannot believe he is that old....

I remember....

• how he didn't sleep the first year




• how he could climb the changing table before he could crawl




• how much he was talking before he turned one




• how his favorite thing on tv was Blue's Clues




• how much he wanted to be a big boy

and now......

Mustafar scene from Star Wars

Finally..

Back to school! Josh starts middle school, while Jake is top dog at Wiley in 5th grade

Oh no...

Seems like just yesterday, he was dragging his blankie around the house and sucking his thumb. Entertainment consisted of Blue's Clues, the Dallas tv show theme, and McDonald's commercials.

Now, he has a cell phone.....



God help us!

Grades are posted.....

two more

A's

yeah!!!!!!

(back to regularly scheduled programming)

Legoland

Recently, I heard about a new Legoland Discovery Center in Schaumburg. Since the boys are getting older, I figured the last opportunity to get some of these kinds of activities in, before they think they are too cool for it. So, since they were up at Grandma's, and I had to go pick them up anyway, I bought tickets to check the place out. (Not to mention, it was a great excuse to go to Woodfield and IKEA, heehee.)


We had a great day, enjoyed the miniature Chicago Skyline, the Hall of Fame, and the Dragon Ride. I let the boys shop in the bulk lego area, to pick up blocks they needed. I ended the day with a fun trip to IKEA (yeah, ok, fun is all relative)

http://http://www.legolanddiscoverycentre.com/chicago/us

A few pics....Chicago in miniature

Jake and his twin

Batman...lego style

No, Einstein is not trying to lick me, lol!

2 more days...

Till grades for the summer are posted.......

White and Nerdy

Oh yeah....this momma rocks! I followed through on my promise to take the boys to see Weird Al Yankovic on Saturday night at the State Fair. Corwin, Josh, Jake and I made our way over, where we were met by Beth and Jack. The boys bought tshirts ( I am sure I know what they are wearing the first day of school ). While I was quite cynical as to whether or not I would make it through the evening, thanks to a good sense of humor, and, more importantly, great company, I laughed till I cried. The boys really enjoyed the show, and it was fun to be able to wrap up the summer with a fun, exciting (for them, anyway) experience (and I got to work on perfecting my air accordian!) The weather was as close to perfect as you can get for August in Illinois, and the ride on the ski lift back to the gate was a sweet way to wind up the night (even if the height was almost too much for me to handle)

Wisconsin Dells, day one

We arrived in the Dells just before noon. After a walk down the main street and meeting up with our vacation companions, we lunched at Pizza Villa. Following lunch, we headed to Wizard Quest. Our team, named the "Requestors", freed all four wizards within the time limit. After conquering Wizard Quest, we checked into our condo. We were very impressed! Here are a few pics of the bedrooms...(We got the king size master suite :) ) More pics to come on this... We wrapped up the day's adventures with an Army Ducks Ride. While we waited, we had a little fun with the old army equipment...

Jake was chosen as the co-pilot. His responsibilities involved sitting with the driver and squirting the other Ducks with a water gun. They couldn't have found a more capable co-pilot...

We wrapped up the day with dinner at the condo (the adults enjoyed eating on our LARGE private balcony) and a little Wii time before collapsing into bed.

Paintball

Josh had his first paintball experience, courtesy of Alan, of course. Alan and two of the soccer dads took the boys out to sweat it out on an extremely hot day to learn the basics. I was not able to join them, as Jake is too young, and DH was working. The only picture I have to share is the big bruise on his leg...one of several.

Yikes!

Yes, it has been an entire semester since I last wrote. The whole thought that this past semester would be a breeze with only one class....yeah, what a joke!!! I have figured out that procratination is not my style, and I do NOT like cramming everything in at the deadline. I managed to eek out another A, so 30 hours into it, I still have my 4.0!

I have started the intersession, which will last 6 weeks. That is followed (well, actually it overlaps by 2 weeks) the regular summer session. I am one year from graduation, and beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I may have to rename the blog for another children's book....The Little Engine That Could.....I think I can, I think I can!

Summer will be full again this year, though the boys are not playing baseball this year. They will

be attending a basketball camp in Champaign, the British Soccer Camp, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes Camp, where Jake wants to do wrestling and Josh wants, of course, basketball. Ken will continue to work, where they are in the middle of a remodel. I will be attending classes and teaching as part of a job share for Extended School Year. This is not something I really wanted to do, but decided to take one for the team.

Josh hit a big milestone....finishing elementary school! Below are a few pictures taken at the recognition ceremony. He and a friend had to deliver the closing comments. He was so at ease at the microphone...if he was nervous, you couldn't tell!

Working backwards.... Josh had minor surgery in April to remove a cyst on his face. While the procedure was minor, the stress for mama was major! The part that made me the most nervous was the anethesia, since this is the first time either of the boys had to be put under. Both patient and his mama came through with flying colors. In fact, Josh was home about an hour, which was about two and a half hours after coming out of the anethasia, before he asked to go over to his school and get his homework, because he was bored!

In late February, I attended the ITHI (Illinois Teachers for Deaf/Hard Of Hearing Inidividuals) Conference in Springfield. As always, such gatherings are a reunion of past mentors, college classmates and former collegues. Somehow, I managed to get myself voted onto the board as an area representative (co-representative for Area 12). Like I needed one more obligation!

Jake played up in soccer this year, joining the 5th and 6th grade team, though he is only in fourth grade (though, now technically a 5th grader at the time this post goes to press). He did a wonderful job of "running with the big dogs", but he did have a lot of practice last season when he filled vacancies on the roster.Though so many details have been left out (like Ken turning 41!!), I will end this little update. I will not promise to keep up, because that would just set me up for failure. I will, however, promise to have a life, and if there time to tell you about it, I will!

It's been so long.....

I can't believe that I have not posted since October....so much has happened in the last few months. My grad classes kind of got away from me, completely taking over my life from the end of October until the end of the semester. I did manage to survive the semester without maiming anyone, which is a near miracle. Not only did I survive, I got A's in both classes, which means I still have a 4.0 average. I am so proud (oh my....yes I am a nerd)

The boys are doing very well....managing to balance school and basketball well. The amount of homework has increased exponenitally...so our nights at home are a little busier. But, it is good practice for middle school, so I am all for it.

We spent Thanksgiving with my parents. As always, Mom's dinner was beyond delicious!

Christmas was a blur.... first the Candlestick Lane Open House, then shopping and wrapping and preparing for the big day. This year, with classes being so hectic, I got a very late start on things. Thank goodness DH did a good chunk of the shopping....or else it would not ever have gotten done. Christmas was bittersweet this year....December 25th would have been Grandpa's birthday. He was missed, but we still had his birthday cake (which also said happy birthday to baby Jesus). One surprise of Christmas Day was having Uncle Brad join us...we were not expecting him to be able to come. He gave the boys new socks.....complete with money inside! Very clever.....

Josh had a little side trip to Chicago with Corwin's family at the end of December. Just check out their blog for a report.... (see links-Carroll Family Blog)

Now that January is upon us, it is time to head back to work, school, and grad classes. Dad had surgery last week, and seems to be recovering well. The boys and I visited to entertain as well as to celebrate Mom's birthday. In another week, DH and the boys are going to visit his mom's for her birthday and a long weekend. Church obligations and grad classes are preventing me from joining them, but, sometimes, a weekend home alone is exactly what a momma needs. I will try to be more diligent in keeping up this semester...only one class will seem like a vacation!

Happy New Year!

Rest in Peace

Grandpa

1933-2007

DH's father passed away on Sunday. Grandpa was a wonderful man, who served in the Air Force, raised three children, worked hard to support his family, had a strong relationship with Jesus, and was married to his loving wife for 45 years. He was the role model for my husband, who is now passing the legacy of good, strong, loving men on to our boys. I thank God for his life, for his love, and for the parts of him that live on in my husband and my boys. May he rest in peace.

Pre-halloween happenings

The big day is near. I am not going to post a spoiler about the boys' costumes, since Josh wants his kept a secret. I will, however, share a few things with you...

We had our "dress rehearsal" on Friday evening as we attended the Halloween Party for the local deaf/hard of hearing community. We took along one of my students, who had a great time. It was fun to watch my two play "mother hen" to this little guy. Very heart warming. Several other of my current students and even a future stuent was there as well. I love seeing families outside of school. It helps build a sense of comraderie.

After the Halloween party at school, we are headed over to a friend's house. I plan on trick-or-treating for a glass of wine while the boys are roaming the streets in search of candy. I'll post pictures after the festivies are over. (May not be until next week)

A fall from grace...

Last week, I had been almost to the point of a panic attack (a la Tony Soprano) due to the stress of, not one, but two large assignments due just a day apart. I was especially vulnerable at church, maybe because that is the one place it is most difficult to hide your true emotions. Anyway, stress may be one of the contributors to the dizzy spell that led to my fall down the stairs.

Yes, you read that right. My un-graceful self fell head-first down five stairs. In front of about 10 people. Including Jake. Who laughed at his mother. Laying on the floor, in a daze. Shins bleeding from scraping down the stairs. Crying, from pain, embarrassment, and the like.

Yep, he laughed. Guess he really is my kid. 'Cause I bet it was pretty funny. I even managed to throw my water bottle and hit the window. That may have been his favorite part.

My back, knee (yes, the right one, the one that caused me to be in physical therapy for a month), arm, ribs, head, shins and places on my body that I didn't even know existed, hurt for several days. Along with my pride. Everything seems to be healing. Even my ego.

It's over...

The Diamondbacks swept our Cubbies in the NLDS. Josh was rooting hard for his team. Appartently, one rally cap was not enough...

Unfortunately, three caps didn't do the trick :(

Jake-The Ringer

Saturday was a busy day for young Jake. Since Josh's soccer team was going to be short a few players, his coach asked Jake if he would play up with the 5-6 grade team. This game was at 9:00, and Jake's game would start at 10:10, so he could do both. Jake and Daddy decided that this was a good idea, so the plan was set.



The weather was very warm, with the high for the day projected to be in the 90's. Jake played a great game, considering how much bigger the other team was.

Case in point

He had a couple of break aways, and really was not intimidated at all, even when face to face with kids much bigger. I was so proud...he really put his heart into the game and showed that he could hold his own with the "big kids"

Josh marvelled the crowd with that amazing foot work he is famous for. At one point, I remember screaming "That's my boy!" I could watch him do that all day.

After Josh's game was over, we headed across the street to Jake's game. Apparently, it started early, even though some of the players had not arrived. Needless to say, Jake was a little tired, but he put all he had into the game. He did get some time in goal, which gave him a little rest.

Jake parting the Red Sea

Haircuts

So, picture day is next week, so haircuts were on tonight's agenda. I took the boys and their friend Kyle to the mall to get dinner and hair cuts. Since they did not want to lose all of their "long" hair, Tammy just trimmed them up and made them look a little less like Shaggy.

Now to find clothes mom and boys can agree on.....(just shoot me now!)

A quick update...

Well, the physical therapy is doing the job. No surgery needed at this point!!!! YEAH!

Jake's Birthday

Jake is nine. How did that happen? Seems like just yesterday he was my baby. Now, he walks to school, talks with friends on the phone, and gets an allowance. Where did time go?

A few soccer pics...

Here are a few pics from recent soccer games:


Is he praying???


Action shot




the caption says it all!


does he look a little short?

As always, thanks to Alan for the Josh pictures.

It has been so long!

Once the school year got rolling, all of my blogging time was sucked away! Here is a quick update....

• no more A to Z words.....I guess that "cervix" was enough!
• I started physical therapy yesterday...ouch! But, the electro-shock thing she did at the end was nice. I think I'll have her stick electrodes all over my back next time...it was like a massage:)
• The boys each won their respective soccer games last Saturday...YEAH! Josh is playing on a bigger field, and was really worn out. Jake spent parts of both halves in as goalie.
• Jake's room is finally beginning to look like a room....he has a rug! We picked out a new comforter and rug for his room. In order to get them, the deal was that we had to clean his room. Much easier on him than on mommy. The computer desk (the desktop) is in his room, and mommy and daddy have a bad habit of using it and leaving a mess. So, I cleaned that and made DH file paperwork.
• It was a good thing that we cleaned Jake's room on Saturday, since our modem went out on Sunday, and the cable guy had to install a new one. I wasn't too embarrassed, since the room was pretty clean.
• I have an incredible student teacher this fall. I could get used to having someone who works this hard around on a regular basis :)
• classes are going well, so far. I'm sure my opinion will change when I have to do more homework.
• I finally got fed up and had my hair cut short again! I had grown it out, since DH has said on a number of occasions that he prefers long hair. I just never felt comfortable in long hair....it's not my personality. So, after a chick butchered it a few weeks ago, I had a different hair dresser fix it. She had to go pretty short to even up the mess left by the other lady. I really was much happier with the shorter cut...I felt more me. So,m it was time for a trim, so I had her "go all the way". I am SO happy!

That's all for now. I will try to post some of Jake's bday and some soccer pictures later.

busty....cervix.....dew?

these are the words my son came up with for his homework. They are doing "A to Z". On day one, they did words that start with a and end in z, then words that begin with b and end with y, begin with c and end in x. They are allowed to use a dictionary. Tomorrow will be words that begin with d and end in w. So, what words will he come up with next???

When Jake came up with "busty" I explained that it meant a woman with really big breasts. So he decided to not use it. DH was home with the kids tonight while I was at class. He told me about Jake finding the word cervix. He did not have Jake eliminate it from his homework. He felt like the teacher needed to see that one. I asked him if he defined the word for Jake. Nope--he looked it up in the dictionary, there is a definition there. As if Jake would understand that, LOL! It may be just what his teacher needs to realize what a strange homework assignment it is. Though, it is better than the word scrambles she sent home where she wrote the wrong letters on the board.

My summer is over :(

I headed back to work on Wednesday. While I really do love my job, I am so sad to see summer end. My classroom is coming together, but there are still a few things that have to be done. Since I co-teach, everything has to be mutually agreed upon, which takes longer than when I taught on my own. It's like having two cooks in the kitchen. Not only do you have to decide on the recipe, but also on how well-done to cook it, whether to add nuts, etc. Definitely a unique challenge.

The boys do not have to go back until next Wednesday, so they are enjoying a last few days of fun. In fact, they are at an overnight back to school party. I will pick them up around 3, so I have a little time to myself. I plan to clean the house a little, and maybe get into my classroom too. Later tonight, the boys and I are heading to the Urbana Sweetcorn Festival (if the weather holds out) to see a Mark Harris concert.

I saw the orthopedic surgeon yesterday. I actually have two cysts in my knee, one on the front and one in the meniscus. In addition, there is damage (strain?) to my hamstring, which appears to be causing most of the pain. I start physical therapy soon to work on the hamstring. Once some healing happens there, then we can further evaluate if anything needs to be done with the cysts.

MRI results

I have a cyst in my knee. I will see the orthopedic specialist next week.

Poor thing...

Great-great-great Aunt Mary fell at the nursing home today and broke her hip. Surgery is scheduled for tomorrow.

Time to wake up!

Jake received a long coveted alarm clock from Grandma and Grandpa G. for his birthday (an early present, since we were visiting last weekend). He set it for 7:00 a.m.

He was so upset this morning...he woke up before his alarm, LOL!

Soccer has started

We have begun the delicate dance of soccer practice/mommy going to class/daddy has to work. Please let me make it through this season....

They're back

the students. You can tell that U of I will be starting soon. You can't get anywhere without fighting the traffic. Yuck! Good-bye quiet.

Without further ado....

pictures of our remodeled bathroom! First, a couple of reminders of where we started...

And now for the "new" bathroom:

Finally!

Just a quick update...

to proudly announce the arrival of 2 more A's on my transcript!!! So far I have received all A's for my graduate coursework :)

Another Knee Update

OK, so the Xrays were negative....no arthritis. So, now the theory is possibly a Baker's cyst or ligament damage, or both. An MRI is scheduled for next week.

A few pics from the Dells....

Inside Ripley's Believe-It-Or-Not Museum...(note the snake right next to DH's hand)

What has the waitress done???? Giving the boys their own pitcher of root beer????

The boys loved having their own table at Pizza Villa...

This is where Jon and I wanted to go, but thought it might not be appropriate for the minions. Wonder if they have a gift shop????

Wizard Quest--tons of fun! Here are our little "minions" with the dragon and the wizard.

We had such a great time. Big thanks to Jon and Dawn, our hosts, and to Dale, for driving.

Happy Anniversary!

Today is our 15th wedding anniversary :)

Knee update

or, not really. I got in to see the physician's assistant since my doctor is at the hospital all week seeing patients there. She had xrays done and gave two theories- arthritis or ligament injury. She prescribed strong anti-inflammatory meds and will follow up when the xrays are back.

Graduation

I have completed the Auditory/Oral Graduate Specialist certificate program at Illinois State University. While I still have two more years until my masters is finsihed, I am glad to have met this milestone. They had a little graduation ceremony and reception on Tuesday, following our last class. Here is a picture of our graduating class:

Lobsters

No, it's not what we ate, it's what we look like. Apparently 30 SPF wasn't enough for our trip to the water park yesterday. I am especially tender on my upper thighs (where my skin would normally be covered by shorts). The boys are still asleep, so I'll have to wait and see how bad they're skin is when they wake up.

We are at our dear friends, the Jensens, for a long weekend. They live near the Wicsonsin Dells, so we spent a long day at Noah's Ark water park yesterday.

http://www.noahsarkwaterpark.com/

We had a great time!!! I kept up pretty well (remember the knee?) but decided to sit out the final activity--mini golf. The hills and stairs were really hard, but the rides and the company were so wonderful that it was worth it.

Today we will be heading back to the Dells for more fun.

On the road again....

Tomorrow we leave for another busy week on the road. Monday, I have class in Normal, then DH and the boys will pick me up. We will drive to the in-laws house, where I leave the men in my life behind. I then head Monday night to the Chicago area to stay with others from my grad program. Tuesday's class is in Des Plaines. Tuesday after class I head back out to the in-laws. We'll hang around there Wednesday, then head up to Wisconsin on Thursday to visit with the Jensen family. We will be heading home on Sunday.

Sounds like a very busy week, yet managable. Would be more managable if I have not (possibly) torn a ligament or tendon in my knee! How? I have no idea. ALl I know is that my knee started hurting yesterday. It was so painful this morning that I went to convenient care. The doctor thinks that there is either a torn ligament or tendon involved. Recommendations are to stay off the leg all together (HAHAHAHA!) use a knee brace to stabilize, and to use crutches (yeah, right). I'm ok on the brace thing, but crutches--you have got to be kidding me. You think I am a clutz on two feet, just hand me a pair of crutches and watch me take gracelessness to a whole new level!

I will have to follow up with my regular doctor, and probably an orthopedic doctor, when we get back. In the mean time, my knee brace is really sexy! Poor DH will not be able to resist, LOL!

Quiet night at home

OK, DH and the boys are in Peoria at a baseball game. I have the house all to myself. I cleaned a bit this afternoon, so the house is somewhat in order. I have a big project to finish for my class on Monday (ok, the truth is that the project is not actually due until next Friday, but since we are leaving for "vacation"--a few days at the in-laws then a few days with friends in Wisconsin) I really need to finish it this weekend. So, what did I spend the last hour doing?? Cleaning the laundry/scrap room. Is that getting my project done??? Nope. Why am I procrastinating?? There is absolutely no reason. So, for the next hour, I shall work non-stop. Maybe I will get far enough into it that I will be on a roll.

Psst...

(the grout is done...and it is SO pretty!)

Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee

that's what I am going to call Josh. He made lunch today. I have been wanting to teach him how to do a few things in the kitchen. So, today I coached him through making Kraft Mac & Cheese. He did really well, and was very proud of himself.

A side note: the grout is half done! That was about all my hands could handle. Maybe we will finish tonight. It looks so good! Getting closer :)

A few updates....

Class update:
I have 2 more days of class!!!! I have one big project to type up this weekend and a final essay next Tuesday, but, all in all, I have survived! I was a bit apprehensive entering this summer's classes, considering how stressed out I was during the practicum. It turned out to be quite tolerable, and I have learned a lot. I feel much more confident than I did a month ago.

Next week, I have class as usual on Monday, then the last class on Tuesday is in Des Plaines, where the large majority of our class is. There will be regular classes, then a "reception" of some sorts to celebrate our group's completion of the program. I am feeling a bit ambivalent about this part of the program ending. As of Tuesday, I will have my Graduate Specialist Certificate in Auditory/Oral Development. While I am happy to be done with this leg of the journey (I still have quite a bit of time before my master's degree is done), I am reluctant to leave behind a bit part of what has defined me for the last year. Something to ponder.....

Bathroom Update:
All of the tile is up!!!! I will be grouting this weekend, so that it can cure while we are gone on our trip to Wisconsin. When we get home, I will have to seal the grout, put in the trim, and add the finishing touches (towel bar, toilet paper holder, etc.) and it will be finished! It has been such a LONG process, but it is so beautiful that I do not regret the decision to remodel. I just can't wait to shower in there again!!!

Miscellaneous:
The boys are doing well. While they won't admit it, I think they are ready to go back to school. I sure know that I am ready for them to go back! Josh in particular has been more moody than usual. As I look back, the same thing happened to him last year at this time.

Thank God for our dear friends Beth, Kristen, Mary, Jeannie, Christie and Tracey, who have really been a blessing watching the boys while I have been in class. We could not ask for a better group of friends. You know when they say it takes a village to raise a child, it's true. I am so blessed to have such a supportive village around us.

The men are home

from their visit with the grandparents. Grandpa has made it to the nursing home to recouperate a little before going home. Apparently he looks like his old self...much improved over the last time I saw him.

We are plugging along with the tiling. It should be complete before leaving for Wisconsin. I am hoping and praying we can get it done.

I can tell that I am stressed...my joints are aching. I haven't had such pain in a long while (probably since the week from he*#...oops...I mean spring break). I don't know how I will manage to sit through class tomorrow. Prayers are definately in order.

A quiet evening at home

DH and the boys headed up for a couple of days withthe grandparents (grandpa is finally out of the hospital!), so I am left with a perfectly quiet house. Too bad I have all of this homework to do :(

I did manage to spend a little time shopping for things for the bathroom. The tile is very close to being done, and I can definately see have the grout done by the time we leave next Monday. Once we return, all we will have to do is seal the grout, and we will be DONE!

I only have five more days of class left. It is bearable, but the changing of assignments makes me crazy. One assignment was eliminated, which means less work, but I do not think that my fellow students have realized that now all of our other assignments carry more weight for our grade. Then, to be emailed more reading on Saturday night is crazy. The syllabus should be set before the class begins. Don't get me started about my case study. It is supposed to be a project done with a partner, but since there is no one else in this part of the state, I have to do mine by myself....what the heck?!?! Not fair!

Ok...no more whining, back to homework.

Progress...

has been slow, but I have accomplished a lot in the past few days. The tile tub surround is about half done. Once all of the tile is up, we will still have to grout, wait for it to cure, then seal it before we can use it. While all of that work is still looming, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I have finished five days (of 13) of my summer classes. I have to finish a midterm essay tonight, but am well on my way to getting it done. I guess I had better get to work.

Oh, to be the mother of boys...

means listening to a conversation about who's feet stink more. To get to the bottom of that answer, naturally, they must smell each others' feet, then describe the smell ("It's like 5 day old rotten eggs," Jake said). Now, this conversation wasn't just between my two children. Keep it in the family? Oh no...you must involve the neighbor boys from down the street. If their mom only knew, she'd never let them come back!

Now, you not only can use the toilet...

you can wash your hands too!!! I put in the vanity, sink, faucet and vanity light, and DH put in the cabinet and mirror when he got home. Now, the to do list consists of....

• tiling the tub surround (the biggest job)
• sealing the grout
• staining and installing the trim
• choosing and installing the towel bars, etc.

We're getting there...

Day 4 (of 13)

I survived one more day. I carpooled with another student and it sure made the day go faster.

I exchanged the bathroom faucet and have installed the new one. I will have to connect the water lines and drain pipe tomorrow. In between doing homework, naturally.

Jake has been acting like he is completely exhausted all evening. I hope he is not getting sick.

I've been tagged

Cheri on SBA tagged me with this question:

If you had the opportunity to do a 1-year internship in a company or field completely unrelated to your current career or specialty, what would be your top 5 choices?

1. Photographer- I love to take photos.
2. Medicine- probably an ob.
3. Writer- maybe a nwespaper reporter.
4. Chef- I like to cook, and would love to be able to create like a real chef.
5. Contractor- I enjoy home improvement projects...I'd love to have the right tools and know-how to really do a big project.

I guess that's it. Pretty diverse list. Thanks for the tag, Cheri. It's my first!

Day 3 (of 13)

Well, actually it is the morning of day 4. Today it was much harder to get up. I dropped the kids off at Beth's at 7:00 and hit the road to Mahomet to pick up Kari. I finally have someone to carpool with!! Yesterday went well, and I got home in time to work on the bathroom sink. Naturally, there was a broken piece in the faucet box, so I couldn't complete the job. I'll have to head out to Lowe's tonight.

Well, class is starting, so I gotta go.

Do you hear that?????

It's the sound of my toilet flushing!!!! We installed the toilet tonight! WOO HOO! No more running to the basement just to go potty.

Today was much quieter than yesterday. We went to church this morning. We went to the early service since I had to interpret. After church we headed home so that I could do homework. I kept falling to sleep, so I got up baked DH a cherry pie to welcome him home.

I am fading fast tonight. It is early, but I feel exhausted. Think I'll head to bed. Good night.

Sometimes, you just can't make this stuff up!

What a day! So, if you read the last post, you know that the boys and I successfully grouted the bathroom floor. After such a successful accomplishment, I felt like they needed a little reward. So, I planned with Tracey that we would take all the boys to see Ratatouille--4:50 p.m. showing.

Gracie was in desperate need of a bath, so I made her an appointment at PetSmart for a bath (since we still cannot use our tub and she's too big to bathe her in the sink or shower.) About 3:40, we all climb in the car to take Gracie to her appointment. Once I got in the car, I realized that I did not have my house key. We were locked out of the house. Which would not be a big deal if DH was not out of town. So, I figured I really did not have to worry about "breaking in" to our house until after the movie, I just put it in the back of my mind. Something to deal with later.

After dropping Gracie off, we ran to Walmart for a few things before going to the movies. We arrived at the theater about 20 minutes early, so we did the bathroom thing and hung out in the lobby, waiting for Tracey. The boys used the restroom, then headed to the arcade games. While they were hanging out, I took my turn in the restroom. Once finished, I re-connected with the boys then noticed Tracey and her crew had arrived. As I made my way over to them, I realized that I had left my wallet laying on the toilet paper dispenser in the restroom. I ran to the restroom, checking the stall. It was gone! I ran back out to the main desk and asked if it had been turned in. Nope. By this point, I was shaking, not sure what to do. Tracey convinced me to at least call the police to report it missing and possibly find out where to call to alert the credit card company. I told the group to head on into the movie, and I would rejoin them after making a few phone calls. I found a lady who looked like she might be a manager and said, "My wallet has been stolen. May I use your phone book to get the phone number for the police?" She told me to wait a minute, that maybe it had been turned in. She asked me to describe it. She then went in the back and came out carrying my wallet! I started to cry and thanked her repeatedly. I wish I knew who turned it in so I could thank them.

OK, so the movie was really cute, and we picked up Gracie and headed for our locked house. I figured that there would be at least one unlocked window that we could get into. It took over windows to finally find one that was unlocked. Finally, we were in the house....long enough to make a grocery list and head to the grocery store.

Now, as I sit here and reflect on the day, watching Gracie lay there with that ridiculous bow on her collar (she is so not a bow kind of dog) I can't believe how bad my luck was today. Then again, I cannot believe how incredibly lucky I was today...everything worked out! Then again, luck has nothing to do with it. God was watching out for us today, and kept us safe, in spite of myself.

Think I will sign off now...I have some prayers of thanksgiving to work on....

Good night.

It's so pretty!!!!

The boys and I have finished grouting the bathroom floor!!!!! It looks so pretty. I just keep walking in and looking at it, thinking...I did that :) DH was at work, and I wanted to surprise him with the finished product when he came home at lunch. The boys were amazing helpers, changing the water and rinsing the sponges. From beginning to end, it took 2 hours. Not bad. I am treating the boys to a movie tonight for all of their hard work.

Sorry for the short post. Just had to share!!!

Day 2 (of 13)

Two down, 11 more to go!!! Today was kind of fun, since the girls from up north were here. It was nice to re-connect since we have not seen each other since May. You know how they say that you bond with people with whom you have shared a stressful, tramatic experience with? That is definately the case here. The practicum can definately be described as a tragic event in my life, LOL!

On another note, DH's dad continues to struggle. It seems as if every few days, something else goes wrong, and no improvement has been seen. Slowly, he is deteriorating. I don't know if the doctors will be able to find the answer, if there is an answer. I am so sad, but I can't imagine how DH's mom feels. His parents have been married for almost 45 years. They are so much in love and are just the cutest couple. Please pray for his health and her strength through this ordeal. Thank you.

DAY 1 (of 13)

I survived the first day of my summer classes. Like last summer, I have one class in the morning and one in the afternoon, 3 hours each. It looks like there will be a lot of homework. As an "ice breaker" (btw, I hate those things!) we had to describe one stategy we planned to use to get through the month. Going for a little humor, I said that I was planning to pay off my boys so I could do my homework. However, that may not be so much funny...it just may happen!

One of the major challenges I face is not the homework, it is finding people to watch the boys while I am in class. Tracey took her turn today, and Kristen will have the boys tomorrow. Next week won't be bad, but I still have to find coverage for Monday afternoon. Beth is planning on taking them on Tuesday, and DH is off on Thursday. So, you can see the balancing act is challenging. At least the boys are pretty well-behaved, so they don't wear out their welcome too soon.

As for the bathroom, things are plugging right along. The tile on the floor is all laid, and it looks great, and we haven't even grouted it yet! We will grout on Sunday, then seal maybe on Wednesday, and put in the toilet and sink next weekend. Things are slowly coming together. Considering the length of time this has taken, I have decided a different approach to planning and scheduling our next project. When I figure how much time it will take, I will multiply it by 10, since that is probably how long it will really take. Then, when I figure the cost, I will then double that, because it will cost at least that much more :)

The bathroom floor...

We are getting closer to getting the floor tiles down. We got back from our weekend on Monday about lunch time, and started on the floor. DH worked very hard on it most of the afternoon and evening. I helped, but had to pick up the dog, take the kids to swimming, etc.

Today, my goal is to cut the last two ornery tiles (very complicated cuts) and adhere the rest of the tiles. We'll see how that all goes....