Forty Two: Birthday Surprise

Aidan (5), Hayden (6), and Davis (4) in their igloo.

Steps to the trampoline

This is obviously another set of old pictures. Because Lord knows it hasn't snowed lately. In fact, the "cold front" that just came through was just a teaser that left all of Dallas rejoicing that there was finally a break in the triple digit temperatures.

These pictures are relevant (though old) because they are the last reminder that it may, just MAY cool down again one day.

The final cold spell this year just happened to fall on my thirtieth birthday. The birthday festivities also included and 80's themed party and Jeff sporting a 'stache and jorts. The pictures will not disappoint you, trust me.

I think it was the first time in history it has snowed on my birthday (in Dallas or Houston). And it didn't just sort of snow...it snowed mounds and mounds of nice wet, mold-able snow.

To top things off, the neighbors did all the hard work building the igloo but we got to enjoy it. They also provided the boys with sno-cones made with real life snow. Probably not the most sanitary snack , but good nonetheless.

Forty One: I Spy

This was Doctor visit #2 right before I gave the doctor a dissertation using WebMd and Google Images as my sources.

You can't see the bug bites in the pictures, but trust me, they were there.

At this point, we were playing a riveting game of I Spy. Usually when I play I Spy with Davis it is fairly easy to win because he looks at the object he is going to spy 1 second before he says, "I spy with my little eye..."

But in this particular game, Davis was cheating.

He had spied something white.

I was sitting by a large window on the third floor overlooking the West side of Plano. After I listed out everything in the room, the parking lot, and every sign within a mile that had a speck of white in it, I finally gave up.

"You lose! It was Peyton and Ryan's car!" He shouted.

"That's not fair! They are in Flower Mound. There is no way you could have seen their car from here. "

Then he informed me that, according to Hayden, you can in fact spy something not visible in Level 2 I Spy.

I was obviously unaware of the Level 2 Rules, or the fact that we had made it to Level 2.

If I had only known.

Forty: Everest

This is a picture of four of my favorite people on my absolute FAVORITE roller coaster in Disney World. Mount Everest. Of course, this year I was pregnant so I obeyed all most of the rules and avoided the rides.

But come on! They have warnings on like every ride and by the end, I had reasoned that Blake could probably power through It's A Small World and the Peter Pan ride. I mean, just ask the kids, I have had a more jarring ride on the way to work in the past.

Anyway, I find this picture HI-LARIOUS because of the following:

1) Who knew Jeff still raised his hands (in the air like he just doesn't care) when riding roller coasters? Obviously, to show off!

2) Hayden looks terrified. And for good reason. Poor thing doesn't know that you don't HAVE to ride a ride just because you are tall enough (or almost tall enough, in many cases)*. We sort of tricked him into that.

3) And then Mimi and GrandDad. What great sports they are to go along and act like they are not scared.

*The only exception to this was Tower of Terror. We let him sit that one out. He says he will ride it "when he turns 13."

Thirty Nine: The Rocker

This was about two haircuts ago, but Davis refers to this style as his "mokawk."

Thirty Eight: All Night Cream

Recently, God tasked Davis with the responsibility of making sure Jeff and I were ready for the sleepness nights that await us when Baby Blake comes.

First it started out simple. Just like his older brother, Davis would occasionally get growing pains. When this happened to either one of the kids, we would rub something on their legs for sore muscles. That dated back about a year or so.

Not every night…but a couple of times a week at least one of the boys would have growing pains. When we ran out of the growing pain cream, Bath and Body Works Black Raspberry Vanilla Body Lotion Growing Pain Cream seemed to do the trick as long as it came with a short massage of the leg.

Then came the chicken pox. For about two weeks I was convinced, absolutely convinced, that Davis had a mild case of chicken pox. I was so convinced in fact that I went to the doctor and when they didn’t agree, I went to another doctor and got a second opinion.

I think it is the first time in my life that I have ever gotten a second opinion, which is ironic because even if it would have been chicken pox, the diagnosis is to do nothing. Just wait it out.

But the second doctor didn’t think it was chicken pox either.

I was just so annoyed by the nightly wake up calls by Davis needing Hydrocortisone cream applied to each and every bug bite that I argued with Doctor #2 for a good five minutes about how and why these were in fact chicken pox. Had he not seen WebMD? Google images? Seriously, where are doctors getting their degrees these days?

The mysterious bites? They were chiggers according to Doctor #2.

For some reason, this official diagnosis made me feel better. I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that we didn’t have bed bugs and weren’t passing chicken pox all over his new school. That relief only lasted until the next morning at approximately 2 am when Davis needed his second treatment of “bug bite cream” for the night.

The next day, I revealed his diagnosis to his teachers and was told that they already knew (could have saved me $50 in co-pays had they passed that tid-bit of information on). In fact, everyone in his class was getting 1-2 chigger bites a day during outside time and THIS COULD LAST UNTIL FALL.

Excuse me? What? It sounded like you just said it could LAST UNTIL FALL?

Which means we will get to stop applying bug bite cream at 11pm, 2am, and 5am roughly the same time as I will be HAVING A BABY that wakes up to eat during those same hours?

Why on earth did I not list out his old school having a turf playground as a pro on my pros and cons list? Who knew GRASS could cause so many problems?

Then, someone from work gave me a brilliant idea. Aside from stocking up on insect repellant (that doesn’t work), he told me to “buy” ALL NIGHT CREAM.

So, that is exactly what I did. I “bought” ALL NIGHT bug bite cream. And before bed that night, I went on and on and on about the ALL NIGHT bug bite cream. About how it was more expensive than the other stuff! But worth it since it will last ALL NIGHT! Not like that other stuff that only lasts a few hours! Nope! This was ALL NIGHT CREAM! I sounded like an infomercial.
But you know what? It worked.

And that is the story of how I became a liar (for GOOD REASON) and Davis became addicted to cream.

Now if I could only figure out how to go more than 1 hour without emptying my bladder, I could get some rest before November 17th.

Thirty Seven: Guess Who

Can you guess which one of these fine ladies is my mom?

Here is a hint: She is the twelve year old wearing the size 6x dress (literally).

Thirty Six: Stupid Human Trick

This is the exclusive picture of the bubble-on-the-tongue trick

that only Jeff and Davis can do.

Thirty Five: Sky Writing

While at Disney World this summer we saw these sky writing planes everyday. Other than the fact that it was 400 degrees when we were there, the sky was beautiful so the writing showed up really well. The word or saying was different everyday, but could be spotted from almost anywhere.

My first thought when I saw the plane spell out J E was "awwwww how sweet....Jeff hired a plane to profess his love for me."

"Jeff Hearts Lisa," I hypothesized.

Not so much.

But Jesus was pretty cool too.

P.S. I did a little research because I was curious about who was behind all of the sky writing. Google informed me that a lot of people were "offended" by "God's flying Bic Pen." I also learned way more than I ever thought I would about the airspace at Disney World and the process of skywriting. Does anyone other than me ever get on a google tangent?

It's no wonder the laundry is always piled up.

In fact, I think I am going to google the history of laundry now.

Thirty Four: First Day of School

The first day of school was "fine."

The new teachers were "good."

And that is about the extent our post-school

conversation until bedtime rolled around.

Hayden didn't give me too much lip about wearing a shirt with a collar because I had informed him the night before that first graders dress up on the first day. First graders are too cool to smile in cheesy first day of school pictures though. Clearly.

I didn't enforce the collared shirt rule with Davis because I found this retro shirt that said "I don't have a mute button" and decided a good warning to his teacher outweighed the need to dress up.

Bedtime update on First Grade: Today's specials was Art. He played with Jayden at recess. He earned a smelly (smelly chap stick rubbed on his hand). Ryan no longer goes to that school. And Hayden is the leader of his table.

Bedtime update on Pre-K - If you are really bad and the teacher "counts to a gillion and a gillion", you will have to go to the Principal's office. But if you are really good, "like gooder than good", "like beyond good", then you are the kid that earns the check mark for the day.

Davis was not the student to earn the check mark today.

There's always tomorrow.

Thirty Three: The Greatest Show on Earth

A couple of weeks ago we went to the circus with Amy. We showed up extra early so that we could participate in the very special behind the scenes preview before the show.

Amy and I were so excited about this. Clowns were everywhere.

Kids could try on costumes, pose with clowns, walk on tight ropes, balance on big giant balls.

Guess who wasn't very excited about all the clowning around?

In fact, the only reason we even have these pictures is because we bribed the boys. One picture with Mr. Strongman Clown = Cotton Candy.

After these few pictures, we headed back to our seats to eat our $100 pizza and nachos.

Soon the show started and didn't disappoint.

There were elephants. And elephant poop. And people shooting out of cannons. And Lions. And Tigers. And people with no ligaments that wrap themselves around ribbons 200 feet in the air. But the fun didn't stop there. There were light up swords and snow cones too (thanks to Aunt Amy!).

A fun time was had by all. So much fun that Jeff and I determined that we will revisit the circus once Blake turns five. And we will eat before we go.

At time of posting it is still undetermined whether the highlight of the night was the light up sword or the elephant poop. Boys love poop, you know.

Thirty Two: Meet The Teacher

Last night was meet the teacher. Her name is Mrs. Collins. So far, she seems really nice, but the whole meet-the-teacher night is a bit of a beating.

Note to self: For the 2011/2012 school year, don't show up early to "beat the crowd." It only means you will be standing and waiting for an additional 30 minutes with the other antsy people who also wanted to beat the crowd. Some of which don't wear deodorant. In a very, very hot waiting area.

Finally, at not a minute before 5:15 p.m., the class rosters were posted on the wall and we were on our way to see Mrs. Collins. The whole event seems to be an exercise to see if parents still remember how to follow directions.

Which is more challenging than it seems if you haven't done it in 10 years.

The first task was a matter of sorting the bag of school supplies into different boxes spread around the whole room. Like some sort of scavenger hunt, there I was in the middle of the classroom asking if anyone had seen the composition notebook box? Or does it just go in the regular notebook box? Because those are spiral bound? Is that the same thing?

I really didn't want to start Hayden off on the wrong foot.

Of course Hayden doesn't follow directions, his parents don't even know the difference between a COMPOSITION notebook and a SPIRAL notebook.

Meanwhile, Jeff was left at the miniature table filling out a personality analysis on Hayden.

What he responds well to.

Three to five words to describe him.

What he doesn't respond well to.

Etc. Etc. Etc.

I was thankful I had delegated this task when I returned to the desk after the scavenger hunt and found Jeff still hard at work filling out the five page essay. At that point, I was just hopeful that he didn't write anything that would jeopardize Hayden's first grade year.

(I just asked Jeff about the three to five words he chose. "Fast, shy, and something else" was the response, so it sounds like I have nothing to worry about. )

Next came the volunteer "opportunities." I once again opted out of room mother duty (seven years and counting) and instead signed my name next to secret reader on September 17th (shhhhh!) and "at home projects."

Here is to hoping that this school year goes smoothly and that we have very few days of missing puzzle pieces, or turned over cards, or checks on the chalkboard, or whatever negative reinforcement happens to be used in first grade. This is all new territory for us.

P.S. Want to know the most popular name on the roster? There are two Blake's in Hayden's new class. What are the odds?

Thirty One: Lesson #1012

Lesson #1012: Never, under any circumstances leave your four year old to do a "homework worksheet" at the kitchen table with the to freedom to choose his own marker.

There was a good hour or so (after I realized Davis chose the thickest permanent magic marker in the drawer) that I thought my kitchen table would forever say "I am four" across it six times.

But thanks to some bleach and elbow grease from Jeff, fortunately, that is no longer the case.

***Related: I created these custom worksheets using http://www.handwritingworksheets.com/, a website Mica forwarded to me.

Thirty: Bowling / Shotput

The actual game we paid for was bowling.

However, to the average bystander, it probably looked more like shot put.

Twenty Nine: Field Day

Nothing much to post here. Except that I feel pressure to post field day pictures from Kindergarten before Hayden starts First Grade next week.

On that note, the first Field Day was such a let down.

What happened to tug-of-war? Fifty yard dash? And the three legged race?

Now field day is filled with water games and ring tosses.
One station was the even playground.
THE PLAYGROUND! for crying out loud.

Come ON! I need tryouts and races and ribbons to relive my elementary years.

I had to run back to work so I only stayed for two "events:" the cup stacking relay and the basketball relay...both of which "everyone was a winner."

Twenty Eight: COW-Q-Lated BBQ

Clearly, from the jackets in these pictures, they weren't taken in the last 18 straight days of triple digit temperatures.

The pictures were taken in February.

A few months prior to these pictures Matt and Jeff decided over a football game and a beer that they would start competing in Bar-B-Q contests.

Next a google search of : "BBQ Contests in Dallas Fort Worth", then the purchase of a trailer and smoker, and the rest is history.

Apparently there are all sorts of rules and regulations around BBQ contests. It gets pretty serious. In this particular competition, there was a rifle up for grabs in the awards ceremony.

These newbies were the only ones that shacked up (together) in a tent. All the other professional-BBQ-contest-competitors traveled in luxurious RV's with their smokers trailing behind that cost more than Jeff's truck.

Those professionals know how to cut brisket into 1/4" slices...and know that you never, NEVER! cut the chicken into quarters or you'll be disqualified.

It's Serious Stuff, this Bar-B-Q business.

Look at me thinking you just show up, throw a few ribs on a plate and take it to the judges.

So Matt and Jeff are official competitors now.

Official competitors that made the finals, that is.

Which is pretty impressive considering they spent about an hour developing their recipes and four hours coming up with their name and t-shirt logo.

Twenty Seven: A Wise Girl

How can I not be ready and willing to set up
an arranged marriage with this girl?

Ella skipped the traditional princesses and fairy tales for her 3rd Birthday celebration and opted instead for an ICE CREAM TRUCK to come to her party.

A girl after my own heart. I mean my son's heart.

Obviously from this picture, Davis will have many suitors to contend with.

Twenty Six: Buying Stock in Wal-Mart

Tonight, I planned to write a blog about our weekend anniversary getaway and how amazing it was.

About how it was my first ever stay in a suite (SWEET!).

And how Jeff had splurged on the “Baby-moon” package which came with all sorts of goodies like baby gifts (adorable!), and fresh fruit (yum!), and sparkling water (yuck!), and a one hour massage at the spa (Ahhhh!).

But those plans were derailed when we got home from the big weekend and l I decided to run up to Wal-Mart for a “quick errand” while Jeff put together Blake’s room.

TWO HOURS LATER I returned.

Unfortunately I had to return something, so before I even started shopping I waited in the customer service line for thirty minutes. Then I mistakenly continued on my merry-shopping-way for the few items I needed, reasoning that the lines would die down by the time I needed to check out.

MISTAKE #1.

If I wasn’t addicted to the rollback pricing model at Wal-Mart, that would have been the last straw. I am used to lines. I have been to Wal-Mart on the day before Thanksgiving. On Christmas Eve…and even returned something on the Day After Christmas…but apparently I have never seen the madness that is Wal-Mart on the day before August 16th???

It’s not even like people’s baskets were filled to the brim with school supplies. Trust me. I was looking for a reason for all the craziness. And it was just normal every day purchases.
I of course made matters worse by picking the 20 items or less lane.

MISTAKE #2.

Apparently there are new rules regarding the 20 items or less lane.

First of all, the lane really means 20-50 items (give or take).

Second, the more coupons or price matches that require supervisor approval THE MERRIER.

Oh, and if you happen to see someone standing ahead of you in the 20 items or less line that you sort of know, or might be related to, you can move your basket in front of everyone else as long as you mention you “are together." Meaning you know each other, but are not necessarily grocery shopping concurrently, or even checking out on the same receipt.

That happened in my line THREE TIMES.

Fortunately for the family (or group of people that all “knew each other”), there was a buffer, another couple, between us. This couple was obviously annoyed by all of the cutting, but clearly MUCH nicer than me. Right after I took this picture, my phone died, which meant I had to entertain myself for a full twenty minutes without Facebook or Words With Friends.

Just as the NICER couple was finally close enough to the checkout to start breathing a sigh of relief, I pushed my basket around them and motioned with my head toward the family ahead and said “I’m with them.” Since the family that all "knew each other" BUT CHECKED OUT SEPARATELY were all Asian, I thought it was fairly obvious that I was joking. But apparently not. The girl looked like she was about to lose it. Once I started laughing and said I was kidding, there was just a little less tension in the line, and the nice couple laughed too.

Until five minutes later when MANAGER APPROVAL WAS NEEDED AGAIN.

And ohmygosh, if I don’t avoid Wal-Mart-Tax-Free-Event-Next-Weekend like it is the freaking plague, someone please shoot me.

All that to say, I will tell you about my romantic weekend another time. It has sort of been overshadowed by the fact that I NEEDED to buy Hayden hair gel for his new haircut --- Davis insect repellent for his never-ending chiggers --- and Jeff some beer so he will finish putting together Blake’s room.

Twenty Five: Happy Anniversary

Eleven Years & Eleven Reasons I Still Love Him.

1.) He explains confusing movies to me (like Inception).
2.) He makes a good breakfast on Saturday mornings.
3.) He's sort of handsome.
4.) And very handy.
5.) He takes out the trash.
6.) And challenges me to Soduko every morning (and usually wins).
7.) He watches So You Think You Can Dance and occasionally tries to pop and lock. Or Hick Hop.
8.) He's the funniest person I know.
9.) And plays the role of my blog editor (so blame him if theirs a typo or too :)
10.) He doesn't snore.
11.) And he still likes me!!!

Twenty Four: What I Didn't Forget That Day

After the doctor's appointment fiasco, I made my way over to The Cupcakery.

The Cupcakery is a darling little place that just so happens to be about a mile down the street from my doctor's office.

How convenient!

It's become sort of a tradition this pregnancy to go there after each successful doctor's appointment. In retrospect, I guess it is now tradition to go there after the not-so-successful ones too.

I'll take one Southern Bell, please.

Twenty Three: The Glucose Test

That's me sitting in the lobby of my doctor's office drinking the dreaded flat "fruit punch" so the nurse could later draw my blood and test to see if I had High Blood Sugar? Low Blood Sugar? Or Something Related to Sugar?

Anyway, I should have been done with the drink 30 minutes prior to walking in that morning, but I forgot.

I FORGOT.

Even though my appointment was for 8:45 a.m. and I had already TALKED about drinking it no less than THREE times that morning. Once to my mom. Once to Jeff. And once to a friend.

So I had to beg for permission to let me drink it in the office and agree to waiting the 1 hour for the test.

For some reason, the lady sitting behind the desk (visible in the picture) who was literally some sort of temporary receptionist seemed to have a major problem with this request. She was very bothered because that was going to mean she was going to have to 1.) get up out of her seat 2.) go to the cabinet 3.) fetch another "fruit punch" bottle 4.) first learn where the fruit punch cabinet is 5.) look at her watch and note the starting point so that I could be tested IN NO LESS THAN ONE HOUR 6.) write down that time...and so on.

And what if the phone rang during that time? Then what?

So could I just set up another appointment and come back next week?

Fortunately the actual doctor happened to walk by and overhear her 5 minute monologue about why it was going to be VERY difficult to get me another bottle. Thankfully Dr. Boyd interrupted and mentioned that it would be no problem at all. The temporary receptionist then took another 5 or so minutes to finish taking notes on how to answer the phone before she reluctantly got up and found a fruit punch for me to drink. And then my hour began.

Scrabble. Scrambler. Sudoku. Facebook. Email. Really the time flew by. Technology really makes waiting much easier these days.

p.s. Just so that Blake doesn't feel shafted one day, you should know that I also forgot Hayden's goggles that day (pool field trip) and Davis' show-and-tell reptile.

p.p.s The point is...it has nothing to do with him being the third kid, and everything to do with me being a scatterbrain these days.

p.p.p.s In addition to being a scatterbrain, I also have blood as thick as molasses. The nurse needed a small vile of blood but had to get it out of both arms. Not because she couldn't get a vein...but because I only bled about four drops before stopping.

Twenty Two: The Birds and the Bees

This was a presentation all about Bees that GrandDad, Davis and Mr. Lee put on at Davis' school. The production was flawless and included a show and tell of bee tools, honey from around the world, and a real live observation hive.

I of course stressed the whole time that someone would get stung by a loose bee, or that a kid would be allergic to honey, or that GrandDad would burn the school down lighting his bee-smoker, but in the end, all went well.

Unfortunately, the presentation was derailed by high pitched screams a few times when a wasp (NOT A BEE!) flew over the crowd of anxious but attentive pre-schoolers.

Among the best questions asked in the open ended Q&A (more like never ending Q&A):

1.) Why is there not a king bee? Good question, young lad, but everyone knows the queen is the one who can get stuff done.

2.) Why are you stealing their honey? Thanks to the producers of Bee Movie.

Twenty One: Freebirds

A few months ago, our dream came true. Freebirds came to our neck of the woods. This means we spend at least one evening here per month week. I won’t go into all the details, but just know that I have a FANatic card and have earned three free burritos since they opened in March.

When we first started going, the boys thought of it much the same as they do Chipotle…which means they were not too thrilled about our frequent visits and just put up with the chicken and cheese quesadilla that came on the Kids Plate.

No amount of foil art or crazy tattooed employees could convince them that the new Freebirds down the street was the best thing since the invention of the Happy Meal.

Until we made the decision to order them each a burrito.

Much to our surprise, they LOVED it. Davis scarfed it up so fast we joked that the next time we came, we would need to order him a MONSTER burrito (which is the burrito Jeff eats, roughly the size of Davis’ left leg).

Not much thought was given to that conversation until the next month week when we went again. While we were in line, Davis reminded us that he wanted the MONSTER burrito.

Since we’ve only been parenting this child for four years and are still naive to his meltdown potential, we decided to order him a kids burrito and just tell him it was a MONSTER burrito.

And since he is almost five now and not two(an age where you can actually get away with stuff like that), you can imagine how well that went over. When I handed him his mini-burrito CALLED A MONSTER his eyes immediately filled up with tears as he dramatically pushed it away.

In an effort to avoid standing in line again, Jeff offered up his burrito.

Which was very nice and commendable, given that I was already sharing my burrito with Blake. Plus, I will speak for both of us that we thought Davis would eat two bites and be turned off by either the carnitas, fresh jalapenos, pico de gallo, or myriad of other “freebies” and sauces Jeff had added to his burrito.

No such luck.

Davis polished off about half of Jeff’s burrito before finally giving in and handing it back, but only because by that time Hayden had dug into the brownies.

Now he asks to go to Freebirds all the time so that he can order a “Monster Buwwito, on a wred tortilla, wif all the spicy fings.”

So much for the cheap kids meals.

Twenty - Putt Putt

This will serve as a good "before" picture to the home remodeling project.

And also as evidence that boys* never outgrow the urge to play and make a mess.

*I will admit that I joined in on the fun after snapping the picture though.

Nineteen: Indoor Camping

This tent was set up in the middle of our living room for the better part of June. It was nice because the kids experienced the joys of camping without me sitting outside Jeff having to put up with a miserable pregnant wife in 105 degree temperatures.

I am making the executive decision to retire the real camping gear until the temperature drops back down to 70....AND Blake starts walking.

Eighteen: Diving 101

This summer, the boys have both taken huge strides in their swimming ability. Our neighborhood pool doesn't have a diving board, so on a couple of occasions, we have taken them to the city pool so they can have the full pool / diving experience.

The first time Davis went off the diving board, I stood on the side literally shaking for fear that I was going to have to jump in and rescue him. I was unsure if Davis had the stamina to make it the 15 feet from the diving board to the side of the pool. Especially after the whistle was blown at him for Wearing Goggles In The Deep End. Do you have any idea how dangerous goggles can be In The DEEP END.

Me either. But we obeyed and followed the rules.

And it was obvious by the way the life guard scooted to the front of her seat that she had the same concerns.

But he successfully jumped.

After a nice little 45 second dance performance on the edge of the diving board.

I don't know who looked crazier. Me standing on the edge of the pool screaming SWIM! SWIM. KICK YOUR FEET! USE YOUR ARMS! DON'T SWIM LIKE A SHARK. KICK! KICK! KICK!

Or him doing arm circles before shouting CAANNNNONNN! BA....and jumping into the water

I literally saw two life guards on the side making fun of him imitating his "arm circle cannon ball jump trick."

But he doesn't need to know that.

The point is, he made it across.

Seventeen: Comfort

Why sit on couches when there is that really comfortable spot right between the footboard and the mattress. Jeff and I weren't in this picture, but just know that this is where we all gather in the evenings to watch TV.

So relaxing.

Sixteen: Wrought Iron Balusters

This is the after picture of the wrought iron balusters we installed. I wasn't smart enough to take a before picture, but I am sure I have one somewhere on the blog if you search.

These were 100% installed by Jeff and me. And in this case, I DO NOT use the term "we" loosely. I played a very active role in this project. My role was actually the remover of the old balusters, which, like everything else, seemed much simpler on the surface.

I signed up for that role before I knew that Every Single Step had a three double ended screws in them.
Meaning screws that had to be unscrewed using either a pipe wrench or pliers.
Meaning I couldn't even use a automatic drill or even a screw driver.
Meaning I HAD BLISTERS ALL OVER MY HAND.

I now know more than I ever thought I would about stairs, balusters, newels, patterns, epoxy, and DOUBLE ENDED SCREWS.

But the good news is that if the Finance thing doesn't work out for us, we can always start a stair remodeling company.

Fifteen: For The Wedding Rehearsal Slideshow

Ella, Hayden & Davis showing off their matching rings.

A week or so ago, we took a day off work and celebrated the fact that Megan was in town. Amazing Jake's didn't disappoint. Pizza, Laser Tag, Putt Putt, More Pizza, Bumper Cars, and Video Games.

My future daughter-in-law, Ella, was also in attendance and was sweet enough to purchase the boys each a fashion ring with her hard earned tickets.

I documented the experience for the slide show.

Still up for discussion: who will be the Groom, and who will be the Best Man.

Fourteen: Busy Moving Tiny Toys

We are 70% through our home remodel. The wood floors are nailed down and the tile is laid. Tomorrow starts the final phase: the carpet.

The man doing the carpet casually mentioned on the phone that he would move all the furniture but requested that we unplug all electronics and move any odds-and-ends off the ground and shelves.

He said it so casually and nonchalantly that I allotted about 10 minutes of my night to this chore. Jeff could unplug a few cords, and I could pick up a few pairs of shoes, I thought.

Two hours later and we are still not done.

Who knew we had so much stuff just lying around on the ground?

Aside from the fact that I found shoes in Jeff's closet from his Freshman year in high school, I am most annoyed with tiny toys.

I am just wishing that I would be invited to a toy manufacturer focus group soon because I would let them have it. It seems you can't buy an action figure anymore without it including a box full of itty bitty add-ons. It's just a joke to assume that two boys can keep up with all these extras. Forget the teeny-tiny sword case, sword, and belt...to be honest, we are doing good if we have the action figure itself after a month...with most of his appendages.

The toy in the picture above is merely an example. I picked up about a four million others that were tinier but unrecognizable in a photograph.

Just to give you an idea: Picture a single Lego block. Now picture something roughly one tenth of that size in the shape of a tiny gun. Now picture the itty-bitty-teeny-weeny bullet in that gun. Now picture me, six months pregnant, crawling around the floor picking these miniscule toys up.

And that's what we've been up to tonight.

Thirteen: Love Is All You Need

Davis: Mom, I love you so, so much. I love you one thousand.

Me: That's nothing. I love you a million.

::: thinking...I'm an accountant, I can go on with this for a while :::

Davis: Well...I love you half a dozen.

Twelve: How to Cheat When Climbing A Tree

When I first took this picture, I thought I would edit out the

cooler in the photo so that it would look like they climbed

the tree on their own.

But then I thought of Blake, and

I really don't want him to have to live up to

unrealistic standards.