Dishwasher

Right now I am not a fan of my dishwasher.  Ever since the landlord replaced the countertops while we were gone this summer the dishwasher hasn't been working properly.  The door won't stay closed so if you go to add anything after you have started the cycle, DON'T.  Water sprays everywhere (learned from experience!).  Then since the door doesn't shut all the way water leaks out so I have a tupperware container to catch it.  I think all the extra water leaks caused a short because every time the cycle got to 86 minutes it would cut off and I would have to reset the outlet (again don't leave the door open when you reset it and it turns back on!!) and start it again on the shorter cycle that begins at 81 minutes.  Then last night it wouldn't even start.  This morning same thing.  I called the landlord last night and he is coming after work tonight to take a look at it.  He called today to see if I could unplug it and plug it back in to see if that would reset it.  I told him I did (but I didn't) and guess what, the stupid thing started like nothing had been wrong!  Of course I had hand-washed all the breakfast dishes and bottles already!!  I'm hoping for a new dishwasher tonight!!

I also realize I am complaining over something minor, but if I am going to have a dishwasher in my house it better work.

I'm sure Eric had nothing to do with it not working either!!




It is really a challenge to do dishes when he's awake as you saw.  So if you come over don't be surprised if there is a sink full of dishes waiting until after bedtime to get done!

Visitors

Last Saturday the Schroeders came for a short visit!  They were on their way to see Rachel's dad and step mom for the week and spent a night with us first!  The kids loved having friends spend the night and someone to play with.  Caroline really enjoyed having Meredith (who's 2) attached to her.  We went to the park, grilled, and played in the back yard.  Such a fun visit.

Climbing the tree in our front yard.  This tree routinely has lots of kids in it every afternoon.

Christian also got the kids involved in picking up apples.  Not one of my favorite chores.  The apples are ant covered, mushy, bee filled, gross-ness!  But they have to be picked up or the yard gets bee infested and is just gross.  Not only did Christian pick up the ones that had fallen he got a ladder and picked some, shook the branches, and threw balls in the tree to knock apples down!  He filled an entire trash can with apples!!  It was so heavy that I couldn't even begin to lift it.  Thank goodness he put it at the curb for me.  Then Friday the yard waste truck comes down the street.  I watch to see if they are going to take the apples.  The guy tried to grab the can but couldn't get it so he hops back on the truck and they start to drive off.  I run out the door waving my arms, yelling hey, what about my trash!  He yells back that it's too heavy and I yell back that I can't move it either!  They are still moving away while that conversation was happening!  But then the driver put it in reverse and got out to help the other guy with the apples.  THANK GOODNESS!  It must have been the hot jeans I was wearing that day, cause if I was wearing sweats I don't think they would have come back!!  Anyway the apples are gone and I can now refill the trash can for next week.  The neighborhood kids were in the back yard tonight having an apple fight and I got them to pick them up and put them in the trash can!

I want to see Jesus

A few mornings ago while we were eating breakfast Will told me he wanted to see Jesus.  Not at all surprised by anything that comes out of his mouth I just told him he'll have to wait until he goes to heaven. He said ok and then immediately Caroline starts crying.  Full out bawling!  With a wad of food in her mouth she comes over and gets in my lap giving me a huge hug, still crying.  She didn't want Will to die!  At this point Will is laughing!!  I reassured Caroline that Will wasn't going to die anything soon and that God still had big plans for him.  Will adds that its that he is going to be big cat doctor.

See for the previous few days Caroline had been asking me if she could have her own room.  Later that day after school she told me she still wanted to share a room with Will!!  Good thing she made that choice since she wasn't getting her own room anyway!  I'm glad they love each other so much and are good buddies.

Post Office

I am not a fan of going to the post office.  3 kids in a post office with long lines isn't what I would call fun. I avoid going if I can.  I usually get Justin to go for me since it is across the street from where he works.  When he's here that is!  I can print postage online and have them pick it up from my house but not if I'm sending something to Justin since there is a customs form to deal with.
So today I had put off going to the post office long enough and had 4 things to mail!  One of them a HUGE 24"X24" box!  The problem is how I get in the post office when I am the only one that can carry the box and I'm the only one that can carry the baby.  So Eric went in the stroller so Caroline could push him and I could carry the box.  As I was getting Eric in the stroller a mail man drove by saw the box in the back of the van and offered to carry it in for me!  Caroline still wanted to push Eric and only hit 2 of the planter boxes out front.  The line was thankfully short and we got a nice clerk too (not always the case!).  So my trip to the post office was not as horrendous as I had thought it would be!  Things are looking up!!

Bike riding

We do a lot of bike riding at our house.  Well, the kids do, I walk the dog and push the stroller.  But I really need to be running to keep up with Caroline and Will.  Just can't run yet (working on it!).  And since we walk the dog daily the kids ride daily.  So what do you wear when you ride your bike?  Might it look like this....

Who doesn't wear a dress with leopard-topped boots and mis-matched socks?

I also had to go back to the bike shop this afternoon because Will has a flat tire AGAIN!  He had one at the beach and Granddaddy patched it.  He had another one that Justin took to the bike shop while he was home to get fixed.  And I was back less than a month later with another flat!  It was a free fix since it had been less than 30 days.  I may need to get him a tougher bike if he wants to keep "hopping wheezies" and getting flat tires!

Oh, and ask Grandaddy about Will's huge crash sometime if you haven't heard it already.

New things

Eric is so busy exploring and learning how to do so many new things these days.  It is fun and keeps me super busy.  I have learned to keep the half bathroom door closed (he gets into the trash can and the toilet!) and Caroline and Will are doing great keeping their toys with small pieces cleaned up.  He loves to go outside and if the screen door is open he tries to put his hand through the slit at the bottom and screams when he can't.  He crawls all around the deck and the other day when we were picking up apples he fell off the 2 steps onto the grass.  He cried 2 tears got up and climbed back up the steps to continue to play.  He is turing out to be tough like his big brother.  And quickly adding to the how many times a day can I bump my head tally.
Today he accomplished something he has been trying for days.

He climbed into the chair!  He was struggling because he is so long that he couldn't get his knee up while his head was in the chair.  I was helping Caroline with her homework and didn't see his technique, but he turned and flashed me that grin and thank goodness I had the camera right beside me!
HE has also become a pretty good crawler and can now climb over objects such as my leg and ...

Miles!  Miles has been super tolerant and waits for him to finish climbing over him before he stands up.  They also share toys!

Still working on getting Eric to not put the dog toys in his mouth!

Fast friends now that Will is in school all day.

Super day

The super day really started last night.  After I put the kids to bed I went to mow the yard.  It was almost 8pm and not much light left in the day but the yard needed mowing so I got started.  I was almost half way through the back yard when I see my neighbor that lives 2 doors down at my gate.  She heard mowing and thought who in the world was mowing at this hour and when she realized it was me she had to come tell me to stop.  She volunteered to watch my kids during the day on Sunday so I could mow during the day time!  I thanked her and told her that would be great.  I finished mowing (just the back) in the almost dark.

So this morning I got to sleep in until 7 and then we had pancakes and bacon for breakfast.  I got a shower and then we went to early church (9 am).  There isn't sunday school or anything other than a nursery during this service so Caroline and Will just stayed in the nursery with Eric.  After church we saw some friends that had come early for the next service so Caroline and Will stayed with them (they wanted to stay for sunday school).  I left and went home to put Eric down for his nap.  I got an hour and a half of quiet time before friends brought the kids home.  Eric continued to sleep while we had lunch.  Just as we were finishing lunch Justin called!  Then Eric woke up after a great nap.  One of Caroline's friends from church, who also lives in the neighborhood came over to play.  Then more kids came over and pretty soon there were 7 kids in my yard!  I love it!  It keeps Caroline and Will from getting on each others nerves.  My neighbor (Shirley) came over and took Miles, her 2 dogs, Eric, and another neighbor (Dina, Mateo's mom) all went for a walk.  Mateo's grandma sat outside and kept an eye on the big kids while I mowed, edged, unloaded the dishwasher, and changed over the laundry, all in about 30-40 minutes!  What a huge help! The kids continued to help while I sat outside in the yard with Dina and just enjoyed the beautiful 68* afternoon and sunshine.  It's not very often I take the time to just sit outside and not worry about all the things I need to be doing in the house.  But today it was so totally needed and a great day for it.
Around 4:30 I kicked all the kids out and just had some Caroline and Will time so they could clean up, put away clean clothes, and set out uniforms for the week.  We had dinner then I pushed them in their swings and played fetch with Miles.  When it was time for showers I trimmed Will's hair while Caroline was showering and then it was Will's turn to get clean.  I read stories and tucked them in for the night.  Then went to bathe Eric and put him to bed.  At 8 my day was over and I have done the dishes and am enjoying some football and just sitting.
My neighbors are really great and all of them have said how much they missed us over the summer.  I'm just glad to have nice neighbors even if it took awhile for them to warm up.  I'm trying to make it more like a southern neighborhood!!
Here's to a great start to a new week!!  Hope yours will be great.

Free face painting at a Mexican restaurant in Williamsburg