This past week

I'm definitely glad it's over!  On Wednesday I took all 3 kids to the doctor.  We left with three kinds of antibiotics!!  Justin and I also started antibiotics.  We have sinus infections, ear infections, eye infections, coughs, runny noses, drooling toddlers, tired parents, kids home from school, swim lessons, and night classes (for Justin), just to mention a few things going on this week.  Today is a rainy (but warmest day this week) stay inside nap, play chutes and ladders, and candy land kinda day.  The big kids are playing on the ipad while Eric is finishing his nap right now.  We have played a little indoor catch earlier, the kids have bounced in the bounce house, and when Eric gets up from his nap I'm going to take them all out side to walk the dog (even if it rains a little on us).  Justin is working on homework, his usual Saturday thing and will go to study group tonight for a few hours.
Dad and Marie were supposed to be here but after we went to the doctor on Wednesday I told them not to come, no need to spread the wonderful ick we have!  It was a good move since I work up with my eyes gunked shut this morning.  Not sure why I'm the lucky one to get an eye infection after 3 days of being on antibiotics!!  Oh well, we will get better sometime soon.  In the mean time, we hang out and cough on each other!!
This is the first time for colds since school started in early August so I'm pleased with that and also that we seemed to have gotten it all at once instead of spread out over a few weeks.  I will be so glad when we are all healthy again.
The picture is from earlier this week. We were at the playground as the sun was setting and it looked like it was shiny just on this tree. So pretty!

Digging again!

So this morning I heard the familiar beep beep beep of construction equipment backing up. They start at 7am on the dot. Today the kids and Justin are off school so I was still in bed. When I opened the blinds I was surprised to see them in our front yard again! They don't let you know what's going on they just get the job done. So after a few weeks of watering my lawn and having some nice results, it got all torn up again with a bigger hole than the first time. Oh well. I hope the weather warms up a but so I can get more grass growing before winter.
The kids loved watching them and Will talked the guys ear off. Apparently when they came back through to flush the sewer pipes the camera found a leak in another pipe in our yard. That's why more digging. They are done but haven't reseeded yet. Not sure when they are going to do that.

Doing chores

The kids have always helped out around the house.  It's expected of them.  Now they get an allowance if they have done their chores for the week.  We have a little chalk board that I write what they have to do when they get home from school before they can go play.  It works well.  Will has to brush the dog every day and do another chore like wash windows, take out trash, dust, and put away clean laundry.  He also reads to me every afternoon.  Caroline does things like scrub toilets, dust, unload the dishwasher, put away laundry, and take out the trash.  They both feed and water the dog once a day.  Caroline also has daily homework to do whether it's from school or from me or both.  They both love to dust! and Will loves to wash windows and usually does both inside and outside!

They typically don't load the dishwasher but this was one of the days that I had been up all night puking so I was sitting on the floor supervising the dishwashing!

Construction

Tuesday there was some big time construction going on about 2 houses down from ours.  They have been working on the sewer lines on our street for a while and found a trouble spot that needed fixing (it wasn't draining).  So they dug a HUGE hole in someone's yard and a trench through the road.  We live on a pretty busy street so it was nice to have the road closed and less traffic for the day.  

Eric was in my arms and Caroline and the neighbors enjoyed watching them pour concrete.

Fire pit

Friday night we got together with our neighbors to roast hotdogs and have smores!  What a fun evening we had hanging out and visiting.  

Enjoying the fire!

Telling scary stories

Looking through the telescope at the full moon.

We put the kids to bed and the adults stay out around the fire until it died down.  We are looking forward to having another cook out in this nice cool fall weather!

Randomness

This picture was taken about 12:30am.  Not an ideal time to be up having some pretzels in my opinion, but Will has been waking up lately crying in his sleep.  It's hard to get him awake enough to stop crying and he has no idea why he is crying.  Fun.  But after some cuddles from Miles and some pretzels he was able to sleep again.

Things to notice in this picture.  A laundry basket full of clean clothes(that had been sitting there for a few days), my pink knee, and a foam potty seat.  Don't  you all keep little pink potty seats on the floor of your rooms?

We have started our Sunday picnics again now that football season has started again.  The kids love this and it is a really fun way to change up meal times.  Eric is getting better at sitting still and not pulling the table cloth.

Coming soon...a tour of our house!  I keep putting it off in hopes that I can get it cleaned/straightened up a bit before I take pictures but I just don't think that will happen!

Another birthday!

Justin's birthday was yesterday.  It was such a blessing to have him home to celebrate him this year!!

Getting ready to open presents.  Had to hold Will back while Eric was helping.

Practicing for his upcoming birthday!

Trying on daddy's new hat.

WHile I was cooking dinner, Will helped keep Eric occupied with what looks like angry birds.

Birthday dinner of homemade fried chicken, mac and cheese, and peas.  So yummy!

Helping blow out candles!

The cake was a homemade oreo ice cream cake.  I added oreos to the cake batter and then added oreos to rice dreams brand dairy free ice cream and topped it with homemade icing!  OH SO YUMMY!

Happy birthday Justin!  We love you