Last ones, I promise!

Just a quick set of pics to say "YA-HOO!" we finished the work on the new deck. I have absolutely no idea how much time this thing took, other than it was like 2 months start to finish. Technically its not finished, as we still have to strip the old stain off the stairs and restain them to match...but the new deck is stained and done!

The pic of the corner is my proud moment as a carpenter! Don't look TOO closely, or you'll see its not perfect...but, I cut the top railing myself...and made the 45* angles too. I am so so so happy with the deck.

I started cutting the moldings for around the interior doors yesterday too. Since I ripped the old ones off several months ago I'd say its time to work on putting them back. I started with the bathroom and am glad that it is no longer possible for people to peek through the cracks!

That is pretty much the happenings here...

Why I love 'em

Its been another crazy week here...but as you can see we are all doing well. Avery, Eli and myself have been miserable with a cold/cough. Kolbe tried to fake some sympathy coughs today so he could stay home with me from church, but it didn't work!

Whenever we do something fun with the kids its always me with the camera so I decided I wanted a few pics of me and the kids lately. I'm not sure why the pics were posted like this...or the order of the paragraphs below, but oh well!!!

Eli continues to entertain us. He talks with this hysterical gruffness and has been my little attachment this week. He too has been sick with the junk. I was outside working on the deck the other day and I heard a huge bang, followed by a blood curtling scream. I came flying into his room to find he'd thrown himself off the bed during his nap onto the hard wood floors and there was blood everywhere...no serious damage...just a seriously bloody nose! He didn't really wake up for about 30 minutes...just sat in my arms and wimpered. He officially booted Nate out of bed, told him to 'sleep in E-yi's room' so that he could 'nuggle mom some more'. We're working on potty training...though I'm not very committed. I hate this process.

This is my handsome Kolbe. I love this kid...he is so smart and funny. We love his sense of humor...his love of big ridiculous words...his hugely talented ability to draw...his sensitivity...and most of all, the way he loves his brother and sisters...Nate and I are excited that he's being considered for the gifted ed program at school. Just for some extra fun stuff, not to be exclusionary. We are so excited that flag football starts this week, with his first game next week. He's got games every Thursday and Saturday for the next 6 weeks. He's aw-fom!

Then there's Kenna...we did her final IEP this week for school speech therapy. I can't tell you what a miracle its been to watch her transform these last few years. She still needs some help on the 'r' sound, so we're going to continue working with the school therapist a little longer. But her teacher informed me that they accidently gave her the 2nd grade MAP test(which is some overall educational assessment test) and she's a first grader...and that she scored better than most of the second graders on it. She too is a smarty-pants! We absolutely love to watch Kenna sing and dance...her hip shake is hillarious!

Mayberry-Aka...Avery-its been fun to see her interact socially with some buddies at school. She loves her preschool...and we giggle every time she sings one of her newly learned Lutheran songs about why Jesus loves her! Avery has been sick this week with a nasty cold but on Wednesday at school, which was the start of the cold, her teacher told her to go out for recess. She didn't feel well so she didn't want to and resisted. The teacher prodded a few times and then Avery very dramatically announced that she "couldn't go outside for recess because if they made her she'd have a seizure!" The teacher asked me if I had forgotten to include something on her medical release info...NOPE! She's just a drama queen!!!

How many can fit?

Apparently its more fun if they're all stacked on top of each other...the kids laughed and laughed for like 45 minutes stacking on top and swinging. At times it was a bit scary, someone's face drug the ground...or they dangled from the top...but that made them laugh all the harder. I am glad they are such good friends, at least while the moment lasts!

Rain Rain go Away

Ughghgggg....where is the fall weather that I love? I can't stand rain...for one, the kids think that the tv is their only friend when its yucky outside. So, here they are, doing their thing.

I love how Kenna squeezed in a pose!



Then there's the deck...the most time-consuming over-budget project I've ever done...but doesn't it look good? If you look closely you can see that the water is 'pooling' on the deck...which I'm told is a good thing. I put the first coat of stain on yesterday afternoon and it was just in time for today's rainstorm. Seriously, the HUGEST thank you to my dad...he did so much work on this beast. All that is left is obviously to finish staining it, and put the hand rail along the top and then pressure wash the landing and stairs and stain them. It sounds like alot, but from where we started I think I can see the light...

"Awww-fom!"

Eli has started saying "aw-fom" to everthing he likes...if I hadn't been standing beside him when he said it the first time I don't know that I'd know what he was saying...but, since the ball he threw went in the basket...I gather he was saying 'awesome!'

He's also started begging to be the 'keeper' whenever there's a goodie. If you grew up in my house, the keeper was the one who got to dole out the treats...and sneak as many as you wanted for yourself while no one was watching. It didn't really work that well when we were kids either...and its about equally effective now. Usually someone ends up crying that the 'keeper' was a piggie wiggie! What goes around comes around!

At least he looks apologetic, right???

"Too Cool for You"

Okay first things first...our whole family loves the new movie 'Camp Rock'. Here are some pics of the kids doing their Camp Rock thing...even Eli is learning the words. Its too bad they haven't come out with a hip hop movie of primary music...instead my babies are singing "I'm too cool for you!"

If you haven't watched it...and you've got kiddos in between 4 and 10...YOU HAVE TOO!!!

Kolbe was too busy drawing to get involved in the jam session! Notice Avery's expression...she was really feeling it!!! And Kenna, of course, had to stop and pose for the pic! Goof!

First Day of Preschool

Can you believe my teensie Avery is big enough for school? Well thankfully the requirement is age and not size, because she just may never receive public education if she has to meet a height requirement! Seriously, Avery is the joy of my life. She has been my ray of sunshine from the moment I first held her. SHe is always so happy, and while sometimes her screech is unbearable...she is always the first one to tell me how much she loves me and how pretty I look( and lets be honest, as I get a bit older and less hummmm.....in shape.....I need to hear that!) She is so much fun, and I'm sad to send her off, but she is so ready for it. Today was day number two of school, and she kissed me in the car and didn't even want to have me walk her in. Sad huh? Too bad mommy insisted on at least walking her in...some of the other mom's get to feel needed for weeks...their kiddos cling to them and cry. Both ways tug at the heartstrings...trust me! Her chocolate eyes always melt me, and I've convinced her that a consistent intake of chocolate is the only way to ensure that they stay so beautiful.

She is so stinking smart...she told my girlfriend Holly that "she is smart, and her mom doesn't even think so", which is absolutely not true. But I didn't know how smart she was...she knows WAY more letters than I thought...and she has been writing and spelling things with the cement chalk. I love my Avery!!!!