Day by Day

connor decided to have his birthday party early this year....now versus December.  It was a hit.....we had at least 60 kids.  Brendan was here with his friends, Pat, Donny, Eric, Julie and Jeff.  Katie had her friends Emily and Nicki here.  We had kids playing football, playing basketball, dancing above the garage with a strobe light.  We had food and we had a fire in Bob's new firepit.  I think the best part was when I noticed Bob stoking the fire and talking to kids.  I sat and started talking to kids and those kids left and more came and we talked to them.  One kid introduced himself and said, "This is a nice house...thank you so much for having me."  I don't think anything happened that shouldn't have.  I kept doing checks in the dance area and all stayed within the yard.  If all went as I think it did, it was a great time.  I said to Bob that I don't mind being the party house at all, as long as the party is clean and ...

Keera was all excited to play flag football...until after the first game when she realized everyone wanted to take her flags.  We knew we had a problem when the second Saturday she was refusing to go.  We all (Bren, Katie, connor and me) tried different approaches to get her to play.  Teenagers get pretty creative when they are trying to motivate a five year old.  Finally Bob just said..."You're playing."  That's when Keera said, "Let's make a deal.  I'll play football if 1. you get me 6 crafts and 2. you let me go swimming."  The biggest problem is that the pool is already closed for the fall.  So, we all responded, half laughing, "Keera the pool is closed."  The pool has been closed for two weeks and she knows she can't go in it.  Her response....."Fine, then no football." Guess what?  At that point, Dad had enough....she went to football.

connor showed me his first essay of the year for English.  He started by asking me questions about how much people had been educated in our family.  I shared some facts that I thought were outstanding and off he went to write. I was amazed at what he produced for so many reasons.  Apparently,  he has actually been listening to us and our reasoning all these years.  He wrote all about my side of the family.....a great grandmother who was a teacher when most women her age didn't even go to college, a grandfather who wrote for 35 years, including many books.  He then went on to write about his mom and her education and job.  Then he wrote that he had an uncle who is a judge, an aunt who is pharmacist and that his dad graduated college as a computer programmer.  He said that his Dad may not have as glitzy of a job as others he wrote aobut, but he is about the smartest person he knows....he's right about that too. Then he went on to say that educat...

A few things about Brendan.... We and he split the cost of a 16  year old Ford Ranger truck.  It is actually cheaper for us to have him with his own vehicle on insurance.  Obviously that is without collision because if a truck is 16 years old, it isn't worth much as it is.  Anyway, this truck was stick shift and Bren learned to drive on an automatic.  I was so excited because I have been dying to get my hands on a stick shift again.  Ever since converting to the mini-van 13 years ago, I have been in automatic mode.  Bob does not drive stick shift, so the training was all up to me. I have to say that I am impressed at how quickly he learned -two days of about 45 minutes each and the next day he was driving on his own.  It was very impressive; however, those two 45 minute periods did not go very quickly.  Driving a stick shift is one thing...teaching it, a whole other story.  The first night we probably tried a little too long b...

Monday night I went out to eat with some dear friends from work.  One of them asked if Keera was sleeping in her own bed yet and the answer was no.  They are both quite a bit older than me and offered suggestions like incentives, etc....tried it all.  We had some good laughs over it. Well.......the next day Keera lost her first tooth (yeah).  She was so excited for the tooth fairy that she agreed she had to sleep in her own bed all night in order to get a visit.  Not only did she sleep in it that night (and get a dollar from the toothfairy), she has now gone 4 for 4 nights in her own bed all night.  Finally, after 5 and a half years Bob and I are alone in the bed at night....and you know what?  I don't sleep as well.  Isn't that awful??? I think I will adjust.

Before-to the left top(nothing in June) After - to the left bottom(a patio, fire pit and step up to pool in August) One positive side to Bob being unemployed for a year is that he has worked on different things in the house that never would have been touched if he was working.  His latest addition is a huge patio with a firepit and steps up to the cement of the pool we have.  He did it at minimal cost, but it looks like a professional job.  I knew he could build, but I didn't know he was a mason as well.  He just keeps adding to it...next he is going to put on a flower box area for me.

I think I have been purposely avoiding writing, but I don't know why.  There have been so many things to blog about, but I just haven't sat down to do it. All four kids back to school....bitter sweet year to me.  Keera started first grade (all day); Katie is in her last year of middle school (can't wait until she is able to live the freedom of high school next year); Connor is a freshmen (and such a cute one at that). He really likes it; My baby Brendan is a Senior in high school.  When he is not working he is socializing, so we rarely seem to see him.  It is just the beginning of the time of letting go....I do not like that feeling. Maybe I don't want to write because it is giving away things that I just want to hold inside while they last.