June 20, 2012

Riding High!

(click here for today's pictures) 

• Something must be waking Anderson up in the mornings because he had gotten into a 6:30 routine.  It is fine since he quietly comes to our bed and occasionally asks when breakfast is (answer-after 7), if he can watch a movie (no, Keaton is in there) and if he can play on the ipad (no the first few times he asks and then yes).
• The brick men were here before the rest of the kids stirred and their hammering didn't seem to wake anyone up for awhile.  Robby moved pretty quickly this morning-dumping his plans of going to work and heading out to buy cement for the brickers.  Later the electricians showed up and then the plumber came.  It was a happening place.  Jodee and Kennedy even came over late this afternoon to see all of the work happening.  The light fixtures are hung and the plumbing stuff is in.  And half of the stone work is completed.  This place is really shaping up-maybe I can get my garage fridge and freezer back from Jason this weekend (crossing my fingers).
• I have new chore charts hanging for the kids (Reagan, Anderson and Graham) with chores for them to do each morning, afternoon and evening.  It is nothing grand but it does help me at being consistent with them helping out.  For example, normally I would have just emptied all of the trash cans (tomorrow is our trash day) without making the kids do any even though they can do this task.  They do enjoy helping out and Reagan (my list girl) absolutely loves crossing things off of a list (wonder where she gets that?)  I would however, much rather empty all of the trash cans myself but know that is not teaching them anything.  Speaking of Reagan and lists-she is not going to have drawers this year to hold her school work, she is going to have a list to cross off when she completes things. She is so excited about this.
• When Robby left this morning, he told me that a brickers son was outside and Anderson must have heard that because he had on his shoes and clothes and was asking to go out before Robby had pulled out of the driveway.  The boy was going into the third grade and was very polite.  The kids came in and out playing with him during the morning.  Robby was back by the time the Schwanns man came (his fault since he started that) so he had to talk to the man and buy our customary popsicles out of guilt.  Robby had everyone eat outside and fed the worker kid as well.  He even tried to give Anderson 2 dollars-funny, but Anderson was trying to sneak it in the house like he knew he probably shouldn't take it.  I told him to give it back because our grandpa had just given him some money.  He was not pleased with me but still didn't protest too badly.  
• More work was spent on the kids box fire truck today and everyone wanted to Keaton to get in with them.  She never made it since markers and marker lids were strewn all about living room.  And again today everyone really enjoyed playing chef.  By the end of the day I was even buying their food with real money-probably not a good thing to start.  Reagan said that she wants to get a push cart and go to our old neighborhood to sell lemonade.  Pretty smart to realize that there wouldn't be too much traffic here (unless you count all of the workers).  Then she added that she would give the money to poor kids.  I suggested that maybe we bake something and sell it like muffins to Daddy's work (where Robby could come home with pockets full of money from the sell of the muffins and the kids wouldn't have to know that Robby had bought them all).  That would probably be a pretty good school project-buying ingredients, following recipe, making signs/brochure, counting money.  
• This afternoon was fairly lazy and not as much excitement was happening in the house as we thought.  The electrician will eventually have to be in all 3 attics so we cleaned/shoved a path for them thinking they would do that today but will tomorrow (hopefully).  But the electrician was standing on a crazy tall ladder which was standing on cinder blocks in the  mud room.  The kids were all watching him as he was standing on the very top hanging our light in the mud room.  I had to stay upstairs saying things like "don't knock on the window, scoot back, talk softly."   Otherwise, they would have banged on that window scaring the man to death causing him to fall with our new light fixture.  That wouldn't have been pretty.  
• When Campbell saw Kennedy this afternoon, she said "Jodee here?" and then we so happy to go down and see her but hardly said a word to her.  Later in the day, I asked Campbell was her favorite part of the day was and she said "seeing Kennedy."-sweet girl.
• Jodee did mention they were going out to eat and asked if we wanted to come.  It was one of those invitations that you just say politely never expecting anyone to take you up on it.  But before she could even get the words out of her mouth, I (who had not been out of the house all day) was telling kids to change shirts, potty  and find shoes and simultaneously changing 2 diapers.  We did crash their family dinner but we at least all sat on our side of the table.  It was a new place for us and to make things even more exciting they were starting open mic night as we were getting ready to leave.  The kids really enjoyed that.  Oh and Reagan wanted catfish to eat tonight-of all things to ask for.  She did eat everything that was given to her.  
• After supper, the Stotts followed us to Home Depot.  We were going there first so they also came along.  We had to pick up knobs for the new cabinets, look for towel racks/toilet paper holders (couldn't find what we want), look for bathroom mirrors (can't find any anywhere that are big enough) and buy some of the door stoppers that Keaton can not get the rubber piece off of.  That kids had been crawling for 2 or 3 days and has already pulled 2 of those of and neared putting them in her mouth.  
• Jodee and I then ran into Garden Ridge looking for mirrors with no luck while the kids all sat in the car with Robby.  Then it was home and bedtime.  It was late for the Dennie crew and tomorrow is an early morning-I have a doctors appointment at 8:15.  Eeek, why in the world would I have scheduled something that early?