Live from Tormville!

The 100th day of school

Finally. 
Should have been Friday - but that was a snow day, so then it was rescheduled for Monday, but THAT was an ice day. So today - a costumed up kindergartener walked up the hill pretending to be a 100 year old man, complete with his hand carved walking stick.

Good thing his mother is still living though - 100 years old, and he still needed her to help wipe a sneeze off his 'stache before he walked into class.  

and there he is, officially six

He was a little disappointed that there weren't any balloons, banners or streamers (the resident decorator had to be picked up from school today with a bug) but overall - a good celebration of aging. 

 

1/23 = 6

• And insists on being noticed. 
• I still have to get up to town and sign him up for some guitar lessons. I'm curious how he'll do - he's the most musically inclined of our four. 
• He's currently enjoying swimming lessons. Hoping to continue him through a few levels in order to keep my anxiety level lower this coming summer. He wore through two life jackets last summer with all his jumping and diving. 
• Has come a long way in his speech classes, he really works hard on the combinations that they are working on. Still a little ways to go, but lots accomplished.
• He wants a surprise birthday cake. 
• He chose Jello to bring as a class snack
• He likes to be doing and helping. He's not into the computer like his siblings are. 
• LOVES games. Board games, card games, any games. 
• Still very huggy and loving. 
• And yet our biggest rough houser. Loves to wrestle with Allan and dad. 
• I can't believe he's six already. 

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Other stuffs. 

• Working again today. I worked the lunch room yesterday, but can't do that today since I have a noon appointment - so I'll work the other job before and after my appointment. 
• Still cold. 2 degrees this morning. 
• Greg has to go to Kentucky again sometime soon - just no idea when.
• That's all I've got. 
• be good

 

guinea pig love

I've had to tell the kids to give the new guinea pigs a FEW moments of peace now and then, but that's so hard for them. For now, we'll just hope they survive all the lovin' until school starts and they can enjoy a few hours of peace and quiet. 

A fun-filled Wednesday

Yesterday was a fun-filled day. 

We hung around home until just past noon - taking care of business and allowing Wendy to perform her dog walking job duties, then we took off for another swim. We have done more pool hopping this year than the last couple years combined. 

This time we headed over to Mrs. K's house - Mark's preschool teacher and a longtime friend. Mark was excited to see the class pets again and give his teacher a big hug. He was a bit end of the day moody when I wanted to take a picture and his antics were making us laugh.  He even dared to pull his long time absent yawn tactic out of the bag.  You want my picture?   YAWN. 

Watching the clock, we headed home in time to meet my sister (she's staying with my dad for a month) and in time to make some coffee and dinner. 

And then we headed out for some ballooning.  (To check out the Kaleidoscope's facebook page - click here) 

I had forgotten to tell Terri (my sister) to put on closed toe boots or shoes before she headed over, so it was a good thing that she and Wendy wear about the same size. She put on Wendy's volleyball shoes. She needed them. 

There she goes! 

Later in the evening we decided that we're going to x out the may on the trailer and just leave the 'we be lost'  More fitting. 

Although we did manage to keep a pretty good eye on the Kaleidoscope for a good 90% of the flight. 

It was a beautiful flight.

And they say the landing went well too. George and I wouldn't know. 

We saw where Jerry landed, and we could catch glimpses of Denny through the trees - but for the life of us, we couldn't figure out how to get there. We drove around the big country block twice and then managed to pull in a few people who were able to give us some suggestions and assistance. 

I didn't time it, but if I had to guess - I'd say it took us just over a half hour to find Denny after he landed. Check out the map below and you'll see why.  Click on it for a closer view to be even more impressed. 

The large red dot in the field represents where Denny landed. The smaller red dot on the road represents the access point to that spot. The street/subdivision on the right is where Jerry landed and where we could see Denny from. 

Fun, right? 

At one point a local resident told us that there was a swamp between us and Denny from the north side, so we radioed to Denny not to put down - that we'd have to walk him out if we ever found him, and he radioed back - "Too late"

FINALLY - with thanks to locals and balloon crew for the Double Yellow out of Grand Rapids and dog treats to get by the Pit Bull, we found my sister and Denny and look - they didn't even need us anyway. They got that whole big balloon all deflated and wrapped up without us.

In a fun small world coincidence, when the land owners showed up and rode out on the golf cart - the guy says, hey - I recognize that trailer - I DID that trailer (just a couple weeks ago - the balloon and wording was added to the side of the trailer). He was the owner of Sign Works. What are the chances, right? The world gets smaller all the time. 

What a trip. 

My sister was officially initiated. 

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As for today - 

I'm not really minding the grey and rainy. Going to enjoy a nice cozy day at home getting some more things crossed off my to do lists before bringing Wendy in for an eye appointment.  She's about the age that Allan began needing glasses, and while she's not showing signs that her vision is bad - her eyes have been bothering her the last ten or so days (feeling the need to squeeze them shut, a lot of blinking) and she's been getting a few headaches. Worthy of at least a check up I figured. 

Happy Thursday! 

be good! 

Summer =

Before

Summer buzzies.

Mark wanted one - Brian does not. I'll let Brian slide for now since 1. the buzzers gave up the ghost just before I finished the fine tuning on Mark's cut (they are probably 15 years old) and 2. I had him to the doctor before 9am this morning with a 103.6 fever.  Diagnosis = strep.  He's sleeping now and will be well past contagious by the time our company arrives tomorrow. Oooh-Rah! 

So yeah, he can slide for now. 

After

But Mark - he needed his summer buzzy today. 

definitely

I told Brian, our in-house hoarder, that today he must combine his Easter candy with his Sunday School picnic candy and put them all in a bag that I can hang on a hook, so that I can (finally) put his Easter basket in the basement. We're cleaning today, after all. 

So he and Mark, one of our two in-house sweet tooths, are at the table consolidating several months of loot. 

Mark is helping, in hopes that he might get some cast-offs. 

Mark: And you want to still keep this one?
Brian: Definitely
Mark: And you want to keep this one too?
Brian: Definitely.
Mark: Do you just like to say definitely?
Brian: Definitely.

 

All About Mark

Yesterday was very Mark focused. 

Does it get any better than splashing in the fire hydrant?  I think not.  I had been at my clothesline folding clothes and thinking - huh, that wind has really picked up, as my first thought was the noise I was hearing was the trees rustling. 

But then I looked and there was no wind. 

huh. 

And then it clicked. I threw down my laundry and went hauling into the house hollering for Mark, "Mark!!  Come Quick!!!" and we tore out the front door together, me grabbing my camera along the way. (My camera never goes in a bag - it's always ready to go) Him, having no clue where we were running to, but totally trusting....

Mark was all, "For real? I can play in that, for real?"  Mark will ask, "for real" even after he asks, if he can have a cookie and I say yes. "For real??"

For real! Even the city guy said so. 

The neighbor girl across the street saw him playing and came out to join his fun. They'll be walking up to kindergarten together next year and her mom and I are going to do this kind of stuff ourselves. It's already planned. 

The middle and high school kids made it home in time, but it was done just before the elementary kids were to come home. Brian was SOOOOOO mad. We had a little lesson in appreciating someone elses joy instead of drowning it with anger and self pity. 

As the high schooler came home, the preschooler went about trying to chase him down for an after school (soaking wet) hug. Lots of laughs

Dried off, a quick supper, it was then time to get ready for preschool graduation. I had been out here taking pictures of the spiffed up lad when I realized that his shoes were on the wrong feet. He usually doesn't care, but I suggested that he should care for graduation. 

Graduation was amazing. I had made suggestions all day long to Mark that he shouldn't yawn through the ceremony, that we would really love him to sing all the songs that we know he knows. He yawned at my suggestions. 

Then, about a half hour before we went out the door I also put essential oils on his feet.  Valor (for courage and confidence) and Joy (for nerves and, well, joy). And he blew us, his teachers, and the other parents who remember how he performed for the Mother's Day brunch just two weeks ago - Away. 

In the class recital of the Pledge of Allegiance, his voice carried the loudest. He sang all the songs, did all the hand movements and didn't even cry or fuss when his cap fell off half way through and landed under the bleachers. I wish I'd taken Wendy's video camera. We were stunned.  This was exactly one of the reasons we signed this kid up for preschool in the first place. 

We were blessed with two wonderful teachers. His yawning avoidance tactic came back before we got a picture of him with the other teacher. 

Way to go Mark, way to go!

Now to find some great boredom busters for him for the next couple weeks until the bigs are done with school. As for today - he'll be getting a cavity taken care of. 

Not quite as much fun as yesterday. 

be good! 

crazy days * crazy hair

• It was crazy hair/pajama day at the preschool yesterday. I was surprised that Mark ended up willing to do his hair. For most of the month he kept saying that there was no way he was going to wear his pajamas to school
• His dad used to wear his hair like that back in the 80's. That picture seems to have resurfaced on facebook
• Mark did want his hair panked down before errand running, so we had just enough time to throw him into the shower before we ran errands.
• Wendy has a sinus infection. 
• We've also started the process of trying to figure out why she so often has stomach aches and low grade fevers. Wendy is not a fan of doctor's offices, so even the beginning process is draining. 
• We picked up a strawberry rhubarb pie from Grand Traverse Pie Company to call dad's cake. Second store bought birthday cake I've bought this year.  Busy times. 
• There were no complaints at all from the birthday guy. 
• And boy, it tasted just as good again for breakfast
• I'm having a hard time keeping track of what day it is right now. 
• Today we have ten Cub Scouts coming over at 6:00.  I may or may not be here. But someone will. 
• There is a chili in the crock pot. in a few minutes I'll have kids eating breakfast while complaining that the kitchen smells like onions and peppers. 
• I x'ed out of 30 plus tabs this morning. No time to think right now. 
• I went out last night and bought a bag for my laptop. These types of decisions are not easy for me. If you had seen me at Staples (my goal was to go out to just one store and be back home within an hour and a half. Goal met) you would have seen me on the floor with four bag options in front of me - switching my laptop from bag to bag and bemoaning the fact that the fabric and size on choice A didn't have the over shoulder strap of bag B.  It was a fascinating study of what I'm willing to pay twenty extra dollars for, and how a non-detachable strap will kill the deal even though it was my favorite bag otherwise. 
• Wendy was bummed to miss volleyball last night. She nearly went, but then decided to crawl into bed instead
• Gas prices jumped yesterday - I was surprised to pay $3.99/gallon at Costco until I drove home and saw prices in the $4.15/gallon all the way home.  Ouch. 
• I can't help but think how much MORE fun the great neighborhood dog chase last night (neighbor's dog) would have been had it been tonight - when we have the Cub Scouts over. 
• Happy Thursday! 
• It IS Thursday, right? 

morning eggs * morning chores

Mark got a little ticked off last week telling me, "Mom, Wendy always has the feeding Tippy job"

and he was right. She's had it for a long time. The thing I have to remind myself of at times, is everyone needs a chore, and everyone needs to feel needed. We switched up the chore chart and put this youngest of ours on dog feeding duty.  He's charged. He feels important, he feels like he's contributing to the running of this place we call home.  This IS important. 

Besides, dog feeding is the best way to get the kids to learn how to break eggs. This kid could make his own omelet, no problem - he's helped and witnessed his dad doing it so many times - but he still needs to learn how to really crack an egg.  One week on dog feeding duties, and this morning he cracked an egg perfectly - no mess.  We did the celebratory fist bump.

And you'll notice a dog valentine on the wall - Mark made that for Tippy in preschool. Over Tippy's dog dish seemed the appropriate place to hang it. 

And Kesti, I know you're jealous about our dog's water dish. (They don't sell Jilbert's ice cream in Arizona)

Happy Monday!  It's a full and crazy one at this house!