Kid Update

Adelaide has discovered a fabulous new toy....latex glove balloons. Last week her and I went to see Daniel in the research lab he is working in, and the guy that runs the lab offered Adelaide one of these said balloons. She loves playing with the fingers and pretending they are cow udders. I have been impressed with how much time this new toy has occupied for her. She wants to take it everywhere, but I try to convince her to just leave it at home. I figure she ought to get her fill now, because there won't be many balloons allowed with a baby around.

Alicia is doing well academically in school. I don't have to help her as much anymore, and she is still making excellent grades...especially in social studies (although she can't say "social studies" to save her life). She has started attending the 4th and 5th grade chorus in the mornings once a week at her school. Hopefully she will enjoy it...she certainly enjoys singing into her toy microphone along with her Taylor Swift and Hannah Montana cd's in her room, so hopefully chorus will be just as fulfilling. Also, after several heated arguments about her hair, I finally threw in the towel and told her I quit, but that she was welcome to my curling iron to do it herself. She loves to wear her hair straight, but with naturally very curly hair, it is a lot of work. I was about her age when I started using a curling iron and doing my own hair, so I figured I wasn't being horrible by letting my 9 year old use a very hot curling iron. I have actually been very impressed at how well she has done. I've given her a few pointers here and there, but she's been highly motivated (she doesn't want it cut off and she doesn't want it put back in braids). When I did her hair she had to be ready to get it done by 7:40 (and she was often late...hence the heated arguments), but now that she is in charge, I find her in the bathroom doing her hair as early as 7:25. Now that Addi has seen Alicia do HER hair all by herself, Addi has now FiRED me. She tells me all the time she's going to do her hair HERSELF....unfortunately she is not as talented as Alicia...yet.

Tristan has impressed us with his school work this year. We got his scores from last years state assessment and he Excelled in reading. We were floored...this is the child that when he moved in with us (he was supposed to enter 4th grade) had a reading level of a 1st grader. So we held him back and worked with him, and now at 7th grade, he is excelling??!! He is also playing soccer with the county and his team is doing really well. They have played 2 games and shut out the other team both times. Last night he scored 3 out of the 5 goals. He definitely loves to play forward, and does a great job. Try-outs for the school soccer team are next week, so between school soccer and county soccer, we will be VERY busy and get to see LOTS of soccer.

Okay, I'm done bragging on my kids now!

Dining Room

I've finally finished the dining room (besides needing to replace the chandelier)!!!! Glazing turned out to be a much bigger project than I anticipated, so I was grateful for Daniel's help. He wasn't so sure that glazing would make that big of a difference and he was convinced that it would be too much work. He was 50% right...it WAS too much work, but it certainly DOES make a BIG difference. Here are the before and after shots.

before...

So these before shots are pretty horrible. But isn't that the point??? To make the room look as awful as possible so the after shots look even better?? Note all of Daniel's African souvenirs on the table....

...and after...

Note the new window treatments...I still impress myself with my sewing skills.

Isn't it fabulous! Now it has the "romantic" dining room feel.

Star Student

Last week Addi was the Star Student at preschool. She loved being the line leader and sharing her pictures with her class. She talked about being the Star Student all week. And apparently she still requests being called "Adelaide" at school. I love it!!!

What do you want to be when you grow up? a Mommy

Favorite Food: chicken

Favorite Place to Visit: Grandma Norma's

Hobbies: Ride my bike, play Polly Pockets, read books, color, and play with play dough

Favorite Song: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Favorite Color: Pink and Purple

Favorite Animal: Cow

Favorite Pet: Bunnies

Friends: Brynn, Shyla, Barrett, Jacob, Seth, Abigail, Luke, and Francesco

Family Field Trip

On Saturday, we decided at about 9am that it would be fun to drive to Chattanooga, Tennessee (about 2 hours southeast). We took a field trip there about a year ago to go to the Aquarium. The main mission of the trip was for Daniel to meet up with Rico the "Snake Guy" to buy a female green tree python (to pair with his male....so that one day we can have baby snakes....SO exciting...whatever). I am baffled that he had the itch for another pet to begin with...considering he successfully managed to bring back his 2 pet chameleons from Tanzania in a Pringles container. Whatever...anyway.... So I really was not into taking all 3 kids to Rico's for a few hours while Daniel poured over snakes that to me all look the same. Instead, I had him drop the girls and I off at the Adventure Science Center, so we could play for 2 1/2 hours while he and Tristan went to Rico's to buy a new snake and to be gifted a baby tortoise (Rico just gave it to Tristan since he can't legally sell them in the state of Tennessee). After we met back up, we went to dinner and got ice-cream, and then saw the "African Safari" Imax movie. Daniel apparently wanted us to have the opportunity to experience Africa, and he somehow hadn't gotten enough. The 3-D terrified Addi at certain parts, but it was pretty enjoyable. It was just nice to spend some time together.

Addi and Alicia in the art exhibit playing with clay.

In the medical exhibit. Alicia was excited to put on scrubs to look like Daniel and tried to get Addi to dress up too, but she wasn't interested. Alicia was all about using ace bandages on her baby.....I love the one around her baby's neck........

We are old hats at building the arch since it is something we've done numerous times at the St. Louis Science Center. Addi gave us the proper numbers while Alicia and I stacked and held them. We even had people come up to us after and ask us how we did it....we were like...duh.

Alicia exhibiting her amazing arm strength.

Addi was able to pull herself most of the way up...I was impressed.

Our new female green tree python. Please note her blue patterning. She also is yellow on her underbelly. So interesting, isn't it??? blah blah blah

Alicia with our new snake.

Addi holding our new baby tortoise.

.....and wouldn't you know Alicia was asking at the dinner table tonight if she could bring home one of the classroom science pets they have been observing....frogs, millipedes, and crabs. I was like, "are you kidding me???" As if we DON'T have enough pets as it is!!!!!

He's HOME!!!!

Daniel made it home safe and sound from his big adventure. We are all so excited and happy to have him home. He made all of his flights without any issues. In fact, he was 15 minutes early getting into Nashville, so of course I was running late. I got there right after he picked up his bags. I'm sure it was a little disappointing for him, but he hid it well. He had decided to grow out his beard while he was gone, so that took a little getting used to. He also had a bit of an odor....it's hard to explain...he just had an unpleasant aroma...like he had spent too much time in a foreign country. Since I have a heightened sense of smell (one of the lovely side effects of pregnancy), I found myself needing to drive home with the windows open. I also made him put all his clothes in trash bags until I could get around to washing them since they ALL had that unpleasant odor....and then I washed everything twice. He was pretty cute as he got into the car and said, "I'd forgotten how NICE this car is...do you realize how blessed we are??" And then when we got home, "Do you realize how NICE our house is, and how GOOD it smells?" And then after he hugged the kids, "Do you know how NICE it was to hug kids that smell GOOD?" I'm guessing being in a very primitive country for over 4 weeks changed his perspective on a few things. I also had a bit of a "Homecoming Party" in his honor. I didn't tell him about it before he got home, but he became highly suspicious when on the way home I told him we had to stop at a gas station to get 4 bags of ice. It was a bit of a gamble for me to throw a party....either of 2 things would happen...he'd love it, or he'd hate it. There'd be no in between. Lucky for me...he LOVED it! Our friend, Dever actually bought a bus...(yes, a bus) and gave all the kids a ride around the neighborhood. The kids loved it...especially the little ones who don't get to ride on a bus everyday! Anyway....we're just grateful to have our Daniel back!!!

Oliver, Shyla, Addi, and Brynn loving their ride on the bus!

Dever....our faithful bus driver.

The kids riding on the handicap lift.

Red Day

Today was "Red Day" at Addi's school, so she wore one of her two red outfits (why is red such a hard color to find for little girs???). She was so excited to wear her red boots that she has FINALLY grown into! Grandma Norma always sends us boots as she sees them at the 2nd hand children's clothing store she works at...I swear I have a pair for every half size from 7-12. The dress is also a find from Grandma Norma. I am so grateful for my mom's job which allows me to dress my kids in super cute clothes for super good deals!

Living Room

My project last week was my living room. I feel like my Aunt Ingrid, who always does home improvement projects when her husband leaves town! I totally get it now! I can just do my thing, and I don't have to listen to anyone chirping in my ear! Anyway...I was bored with the beige color on the walls, so I decided to try a mustard yellow. I was going to hire a guy to do it for me, but he couldn't do it until today, and I had it in my mind to get done last Thursday. So, naturally, being the crazy pregnant lady that I am....I just painted it myself. Took me all stinkin' day, but what else did I have to do?? I also had finished my curtains for the window (except for the hem), so I called up my good friend Munni, who loaned me her husband, Andrew, to help me hang the curtain rod. He then gave me the fabulous idea of putting my bench with the 2 oversized pillows on it in front of the window! (If you get real close to the window, and look down you see Daniel's turtle enclosure, so the pillows kind of cover that up!!) I am just LOVING all the sunlight and the warm cozy feeling I get when I go into that room! I can actually tolerate sitting in there now! Don't worry...I'm not done...I'm on to my dining room this week! I've got fabric for curtains and I just bought some glaze paint for above the chair rail! Before and After pics to come next week!

before....yuk!

after....fabulous!

Labor Day Visit

Cari, Seth, Lily, and Luke came down from St. Louis for a little visit over Labor Day. Seth had never been to Nashville (we've been here over 3 years, but somehow he's never seemed to make it down with Cari for a visit), so I finally convinced him he needed to make the trip, even though Daniel wasn't here. Seth and Cari are training for the Chicago Marathon (crazies), so on Saturday morning they got up early to go on an 18 mile run. I was having mulch delivered and spread on Saturday, and the guy who was helping me said this about their 18 mile run, "On purpose??? If they needed a ride, I could have given them one." I died laughing...I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't get running. Anyway....Tristan and Alicia were big helpers spreading mulch, and Addi, Lily, and Luke played around outside while we worked. Sometime in the middle of it all, Cari and Seth came walking stiff-legged (kind of like cowboys who sat in the saddle too long) up the driveway saying they were ready for their ice baths! Reason #545 why I DON'T run.....if it requires me getting in an ice bath...forget it. I probably don't understand it because I've never done it...but I'm pretty confident in saying that I'm okay with not understanding it. Props to Cari and Seth though...who also got up on Monday morning for a casual 4 mile run.

We enjoyed playing games, Seth threw the tennis ball for Zoie (he insisted on wearing rubber gloves because he did NOT want to touch the slobbery ball...can't say I blame him for that one), the kids played, and we even got to see Savannah Jack play. On Monday during lunch, somehow some banter between Tristan and Seth started about big muscles, and Tristan said his muscles were big enough, so Seth challenged him to an arm wrestle. Tristan immediately declined, so Seth told him to arm wrestle Cari. Tristan was all for that until Cari said, "I almost beat Seth once," and then he backed off again. So, Seth once again chimed in and told Tristan that the loser would make Tristan french toast for lunch (wasn't that nice of Seth to make that wager for his wife??). Finally Tristan realized he didn't have anything to lose, since he was planning on making the french toast himself anyway, and he sat down to challenge Cari. They put on a great show....they held each other for a long time until Cari had enough and conceded. She was such a good sport and immediately got up (even though she hadn't even finished HER lunch) to make Tristan his french toast. Tristan being the good kid he is said, "How about we both make the french toast." It was probably the most entertaining thing all weekend!

Thanks Cardall's for the fun visit! Hopefully it won't be the last!

Seth throwing the tennis ball wearing my rubber cleaning gloves that were a little snug fitting. I also enjoyed his Sunday afternoon outfit consisting of a white dress shirt, dress slacks, and tennis shoes....the rubber gloves really put it all over the top!

Lily and Addi spent most of Sunday afternoon sitting at the game table playing various games.

The Arm Wrestle

I'm not sure whose facial expression is better...Tristan's or Seth's???

So funny....

...and the making of the french toast.

Addi's First Day of School

Left: Addi right before we left the house.

Right: Addi in her classroom in front of her hook with her apple name tag.

Addi has been SO excited to start school. We went last Thursday to meet her teachers, and ever since then she has talked non-stop about how she is going to go to "Little School." During meet the teacher, she told her teachers that sometimes her friends call her "Addi," so then they asked her if she'd like them to call her "Addi" instead of "Adelaide," and she said, "no, you can call me 'Adelaide.'" Apparently she does not consider them "friends" yet! Her school is at a church right by our house, and we pass by it practically every time we go somewhere and she is always pointing out that THAT is her school. I think she has driven Tristan and Alicia completely bonkers with her very repetitive talk. I was a little worried this morning when she said, "mommy, I don't want to go to school today." I didn't make a big deal about it, instead we focused on packing her lunch in her new purple butterfly lunchbox. That helped to get her excited again! She was very adamant about carrying both her lunchbox and nap pad to the car, and then from the car into her classroom....she did NOT want my help. When we got to her classroom, she got super shy, but quickly adjusted and I was able to leave her without any issues after she made sure I was coming back for her and at what time. When I went back to pick her up she was so excited to tell me all about her first day. She said they did their handprints, learned the letter "A", had music time, reading time, play time, and they even drew with sidewalk chalk outside. She LOVED it! It was all she talked about the rest of the day.....and how she made a new friend...a little girl named Abigail, who apparently also has blonde hair. I'm so relieved that everything went well! AND I went and got myself a pedicure!!! We were both happy girls!