Summer is ending....

From the minute I told Eden she didn’t have to go to preschool this year, she has not wet her pants, even once. The potty training nightmare is (I hope) over. She no longer stands in the kitchen, looks at me saying, “I not go to preschool either!” then pees on the floor. She no longer wets every clean pair of underpants I put on her. Instead, she announces loudly to all, “I have to go potty!” and runs to the bathroom for her potty routine (see slideshow, below).

Instead, she gets to go see her friends from last year’s daycare. This year, it’s Stacey’s house. Stacey just moved back from Texas and was going to get a job teaching at the school, but couldn’t find quality daycare here in Bridgeport, so she opened up her own. It just so happened that two of Eden’s best buddies from Tammy’s house are going to Stacey’s, so it’s a perfect match! Her daycare is 2 miles from our house, out in the country on this cute little dirt road, away from traffic and train tracks. It’s a small house-turned daycare/learning center that sits behind her parent’s house. It’s been completely gutted and refinished and smells of freshly laid carpet and new paint. Her first day was Wednesday and she LOVED it. I was thrilled. Because of scheduling conflicts, it’s unclear whether or not she’ll be able to go the same day every week, or if it will rotate. I’m willing to adapt. She and Lars will still go to the in-town daycare on an ‘as needed’ basis, based on rescue calls and fire department paperwork.

With that out of the way, we got our big girl 3 year old photos taken yesterday at Olan Mills in Scottsbluff, then went for frozen custard. Lars, too, got his ‘almost one’ year photos taken, and, since we were all in such a good mood, got a family pic taken. That one will replace the horrible post-pardum family pic taken last Christmas. Not only am I fat in that photo, but my hair is a nightmare and I can’t look at it another month. Eden tried out the potty at both K-mart and the radio station where daddy was recording. What a great day!

Lars is teething again. This means very early mornings, extremely long days followed by somewhat unbearable evenings and finally, end-less nights. I also think he should be the poster child for ‘colic’, whatever that is.

On the business side of this week, I took Eden to the Chiro, as she was complaining of her neck hurting. Sure enough, he said, she was completely out of joint with huge lymphnodes, indicating that she was fighting allergens in the air. He put her back together and she said, “that’s better, let’s go Mom”.

I saw the PA on Wednesday, due to the allergens in the air. Unfortunately, I had an allergy shot only 6 weeks ago, so could only change to a stronger eye drop and nasal spray. If I keep the windows shut and make Al mow lawn, I’m not too miserable. But, if you see a photo of me with my eyes clawed out, you’ll know why…even my ears itch.

Al had a confirmation parent’s meeting Wednesday night. The church is adding an optional 4^th-6^th grade class this year, so that’s going to be a change from the past, but one that some are really looking forward to.

I have also completed the 2008 church directory. It was sent to the printers yesterday, and will hopefully have it back before Thanksgiving. It took much longer than I had planned due to software problems and many phone calls to Olan Mills. In the end, I was very pleased and hope it turns out as I planned.

Saturday was ARID, HOT, and WINDY, in that order. The wind was blowing so hard, the gravel/dirt road was blowing around and hitting the side of the house. Eden had a birthday party to go to, and so we decided we could handle walking the 3 blocks to the park. What a trip. Lars cried all the way, the dog was constantly wiping his face with his paw, trying to keep the dirt out of his eyes and Eden was crying for a blanket to cover her face. I’m just glad it wasn’t the plague of the locusts. Needless to say, the walk back wasn’t much more pleasant, considering we were walking directly into the sun that time. On a happier note, the park was shady and Eden had a good time.

I am in the process of becoming a little more organized now that fall is right around the corner. With church going into its ‘school-year’ routine, confirmation class, voice choir, Sunday school and the like, I thought now was a good time. Therefore, I’m printing off weekly calendars to hang on the fridge. Hopefully, Al and I will stop planning meetings on the same night. And if I’m really good, I’ll plan meals for the whole week and go to the grocery store only once or twice a week, instead of every other day. Our freezer is down to 2# of hamburger, a pork roast, 2 steaks, a whole chicken, a freezer-burnt portion of our wedding cake and lots of ice cream treats.

Our roof was noisily replaced on Wednesday and Thursday. Lars had to take naps in our room downstairs. The roofers did a great job and since they were all Spanish speaking men, I had Latin music blaring from my roof top. Eden was on the deck, dancing to it. It was funny. I think it looks nice, but now I have nails in all my flower gardens.

Sunday, Payton came to watch the kids for a couple hours while Al and I moved out of our storage unit uptown and moved into a bigger unit, about 100 yards away. We then took a drive and avoided coming home for as long as possible. Now, we’re watching the Sunday night race.

Looking forward to a cool 75 degree week coming up, with little wind!! Hope to get in the garden and finish picking up nails from the roof, as well as weed one more time before I pull all the annuals out.

Eden's potty routine

Birthday Girl

“Open that front door up, I need some air!”

This is what my new three year old told me this morning as we descended the steps to go read stories. It is Saturday morning as I write this, and I can hardly believe that Eden is 3. Don’t ask me “where has the time gone?” because I know exactly where the time has gone. First came Advent, then Lent, then a summer vacation. We did this the 1^st two years, and then we moved 250 miles. Then we had another baby. Then came Advent, then Lent, followed by a summer vacation. All of a sudden, we’re celebrating a 3^rd birthday and heading off to pre-school. If you want more details, think poopy diapers, bottles, sore nipples, endless nights, teething, potty training, poopy underpants, doctor appointments, and the like….

Friday, Eden woke up on my bedroom floor “Like Samson” and immediately, I knew something was different. She was three. And my life with a ‘three-nager’ had just begun.

First order of that day was a massage. After that, I thought, I can handle anything.

The rest of the day was relaxed. Eden helped me make her Birthday cake, and she spent many hours standing on the kitchen stool, staring at the pink frosting saying, “I not touch it. I not.” We read stories, played play doh, took naps, grilled out dogs and burgers and brats, opened presents from Mommy & Daddy (An EMS shirt and finger paint), Jerry & Sarah (Cherry-O, a Wiggles book and Pooh bear window stick-ons) and Lexi & Kyra (puzzles, which have already been done at least 3 times this morning alone). Then we cut into the chocolate cake and ate as much as we could before the ice cream got put away.

Bed time was tough. Being three, you know, you should get to stay up later than when you were two. And if you can’t stay up later, then you should at least be able to sleep on Mommy’s bed. And when neither of those options worked, she fell asleep leaning up against me, sitting at the top of the steps, me blocking her passage to the downstairs master bedroom. It was 11:00 p.m.

The pager went off at 11:29 p and I didn’t get back until nearly 1:00 a.m. Lars was up around 0600 this morning and I am counting down the hours until it will be nap time.

The rest of the week was fairly eventful. Monday, I took my motorcycle drive test. As I was pulling back into the courthouse parking lot after a successful road test, an elderly gentleman drove past me, up over the curb and smashed head on into to the back of the jail house. I was so stunned, I about dumped the bike to run over there. Shocked, he got out a few minutes later, cane in hand, and told everybody that had gathered that his damn brakes gave out. “Did you accidently hit the gas instead of the brake?” I asked, as I checked him over. “No, my brakes just completely gave out.” Well, the drive instructor called 911, (which happens to be the same building the guy crashed into), but they said they couldn’t hear him and hung up. So, I called Milo (police chief) on his cell phone and told him I was drumming up business for him at the jail. When he backed the car off the grass and into the parking lot, the brakes miraculously were fixed and worked just fine. Imagine that.

Tuesday, Al had a meeting that lasted 4 hours into the night. Eden came to keep us company sometime after 0100.

By Wednesday, I was too busy to worry about anything other than what to get on the table for supper, and then I had dive training at the pool. Al brought Eden up to swim while we trained and that was fun. Lars sat on the deck and played with Daddy's shoelaces.

Lars is getting to be quite the little boy. He is creeping all over the house, chasing the dog for the enjoyment of grabbing his tail. I watched this for over 20 minutes yesterday. Lars would furiously crawl after Samson, get ‘just about’ to his tail and Samson would get up and slowly saunter away, while Lars went scurrying after him. Samson tried valiantly to get away, once by climbing up the forbidden steps, and finally trying to crawl under the coffee table, in which he does not fit. I finally rescued the dog and gave Lars some crackers.

"Eden, what are you doing?"

"I'm washing my feet. They were dirty"

Lars other favorite right now is cords…phone cords, computer cords, camera cords, lamp cords, TV cords, monitor cords, any kind of cord. He’s enthralled with cords. That’s an easy birthday gift if you ask me.

Now that you mention it, his birthday is less than a month away! Where has THAT year gone?!?!?!

Happy Birthday Eden!

Vacation Re-Cap

I know you are all anxiously awaiting my newest blog, and you will be hanging on every word, so here goes.

We have spent the last two weeks in Michigan, visiting friends, family and others who claim to know us. I can’t possibly share all of our adventures, but will do my best to re-cap in a Reader’s Digest version.

The flights out were rather unremarkable, other than getting to Miluakee and not being booked on our connecting flight. Tired and cranky, we got on a flight to Muskegon, MI and then over to Flint, arriving later than we’d planned, but home, none-the-less!

My first day in Michigan, naturally, I went shopping. Since my clothes had gotten bigger as I have gotten smaller, this seemed like a logical idea and Meegan picked me up at noon and we headed for Romeo. Seven hours later, we were out of money and ready for supper. She had a softball game that night at a mosquito infested field, and I stupidly went along to watch. If I get West Nile, I’m not going to be happy….

Day two we went to Marlette in the afternoon for some swimming and a picnic at Grandma’s house. Uncle John had flown in from CA that morning, so we were taking him home. Later, we met up with Jon and Becky for a bit, and otherwise, relaxed and unpacked.

Day three we headed north to the Great Wolf Lodge indoor water park. You might ask why Michigan, a state surrounded by fresh water lakes, needs an indoor water park and the answer is quite simple. The Lakes are COLD all summer long. Mind you, we swim in them frequently, but at Wolf Lodge, it’s 84 degrees all year round. Perfect for the kids.

On the way up, we stopped at the nursing home to see Al’s Grandpa, who is looking remarkable after his stroke a couple years ago. We arrived at Wolf Lodge and met up with Chad and Marie, who were there ahead of us. This was great fun, as we (Al, I and the kids) had not met Grandchild number 6, Josh. Likewise, they (Chad & Marie and their kids) had not met Lars, number 7 on the growing list. So, cousins got to meet and play.

Day four was spent at Wolf Lodge. After lunch, one car load headed out for a drive. The babies and Eden slept, Mom and I looked out the window at the amazing homes and beautiful Lake Michigan on Grand Traverse Bay, and Al and Dad took turns chauffering. Eveunally, we made our way to Lewiston to our family’s cabin and waiting for the 2^nd and 3^rd car load of Kenny’s to show up.

Day five was spent inside the cabin, due to a mostly rainy day. In between rainstorms, the kids played in the sandbox, swung on the swings and ran around while the men cut and chopped wood. Al’s mom and dad came up for the day and we all enjoyed everybody’s company. Marie and I went antique shopping and Chad took the kids to the beach, where it was too cold to swim but we all played in the sand.

Day six, we went to Bethlehem Lutheran in Lewiston, then drove back to the cabin in the rain. Al and I got packed up and headed north to sunnier skies in Mackinaw City. Driving over the bridge, the camera battery died, so I have nothing to show for our drive north, but it was lovely. Al had never been to the bridge, so it was all new to him. The water was as blue as the sky and the bridge is as mighty as it was upon its first use in 1957. (At least, this is what you tell yourself as you’re three miles into the crossing). We tooled around Mackinaw City for a while, buying sweatshirts and wind breakers for the ferry. We drove by Fort Michilamackinac and walked the beach south along Lake Huron, then back north to where the bridge separates the two lakes. I was in my glory, staring out at the endless waters. We took the 3:00 ferry to the island and enjoyed a quiet evening walking along Mission Point and around the main streets.

Day seven we awoke in our B&B to the hoof clops of the horses beginning their day on the auto-free island. Supplies come in to the grocery stores, workers come from the mainland, a family was moving from the mainland onto the island, and all their furnishings were coming from the boat, to a dray, pulled by horses up to their home. After breakfast, Al and I rented a Tandem and biked the perimeter. What a sight to behold. I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to look out at the water and see nothing else until the water meets the sky. We walked around for a bit and then took a horse drawn tour of the main attractions. There is a lot of history on that place, and a lot of fudge, too!! We took the 4:00 ferry back to St. Ignace, drove south over the bridge and headed back to Lapeer, stopping at the outlets in West Branch for some quick shopping.

Days eight and nine were wonderfully lazy. The kids were ready to have some alone time and we stayed around Lapeer for fear of melt-downs at any moment. Saw some friends, picked some peaches, ate supper at the Villa Pizzeria, (my all time favorite) and hung out.

On our last day in Michigan, Al’s seminary friend, Doug, and his family, came up to our house to visit. Their 5 children and our two, plus Zachary & McKenzie, all played hard for the afternoon. It was wonderful to meet them, as I’ve only had ‘internet conversations’ with Robyn, his wife, and seen photos of them. It was nice to sit in the shade, sip Sprite and chat the day away. They left as the rest of our family began showing up. We had a giant birthday party for all the August birthdays, including Grandma, Becca, Eden and U. John. Lots of food was devoured and Helene brought an ice cream cake from Moore’s in Marlette. I stayed up late cramming all our goodies into 6 suitcases and 3 carry-ons for the trip home.

Friday morning, we got up and had breakfast, then left for the airport, arriving in plenty of time for the trip home. Fourteen hours later, after a treacherous drive from Denver in the pouring rain, through construction in the dark and on roads that were not meant to hold standing water, we were back in Bridgeport.

Thank you to all who went out of their way to see us while we were home and apologies to those who we planned on seeing and weren’t able to. Vacations never last long enough, but we’re grateful to have the opportunity to take a break.

Love to all, enjoy the photos.

Family shots

Mackinaw Island in 30 shots

Michigan awaits!

Hello friends. Since I'll be seeing many of you this coming week, I will keep this brief.

Our house was very busy this week.

In addition to our normally busy routine, the County Fair ran all week, with ambulances needed at several different intervals.

Al is cramming in 12 pre-marriage sessions for a couple who decided to get married next month.

He was also getting ready to be gone from the office for two weeks. Bulletins, Service planning, tying up loose ends, etc... Naturally, it's his month to write the weekly pastor's column in the Newsblade, too.

Both vehicles were scheduled to have service jobs, everybody was getting hair cuts, we had company coming Friday night, plus Sarah had organized a state recommended START class for the fire department on Wednesday night.

Not to mention packing. For air travel anymore, it's a nightmare. Add baby and toddler to that equasion and it's enough to make you pull your newly cut hair out. Snacks, blankets, toys, books, drinks, but nothing over 3 oz and then in a separate plastic zip top bag, diapers, wipes in easy access locations, tylenol and benadryl, plus any other medication that you MIGHT need in a 10 hour travelling span, birth certificates, photo ID, ticket codes, directions to the airport parking garage, Ativan for the parents.... You know, the usual stuff.

Then the killer: Al got a phone call on Wednesday that one of his parishoners lay in the hospital, dying. Most of his week was spent bed side with the man and his family. The hospital is a short walk from our house, so he came home for meals and the occasional sleep. The man died on Saturday afternoon, and now Al's off planning a funeral that he's not going to be here to officiate.

Tomorrow cannot come soon enough. But when it does, Oh, the glory it will bring!!

See you soon, Michigan!