We're Here

Holy Cow we love our home! Our neighborhood is great and we couldn't be happier. Pardon our silence as we do whatever people do when they move.

My new view . . .

. . . from laying down in my backyard. Okay, our backyard. Waaaa-Hoooo!

Celebrity Outing on National Cow Day

In case you didn't know, we are celebrities. At least when we walked into Chick-fil-a dressed as our bovine friends (cause we were going to eat chicken, ya know), there were whistles, cheers, bell clanging, and all kinds of clamoring for our attention. And, all our food was FREE!

And, they made sure we had the best booth in the house, delivered our food to us, found high chairs for us and came to check on us. Aaahhh!

Looking a little strained trying to get everyone in the picture. And we are STILL looking glamorously distinguished. (It was totally hot outside.)

Afterwards, we bathed our bodies in the shade and water. The kids and adults all had a great time. Nothing like drinks and food poolside! Heatwave? What Heatwave?

Good thing Aunt Debbie is such a good sport!

A Quick Moment

Merritt is continuing to move around so quickly. He is cruising the boxes and the windowsill today. He also has started to want to walk more while holding my hands. He thinks that it is so much fun! I am continually amazed by him.

Evy and I were reading books this morning. We were talking about what each of us saw in the pictures. He spotted popcorn.

Mom: What are they doing with the popcorn?
Evy: They going take w' hands, put in mouf, go in tummy, down (motions his body), out bottom hole, and on my pants and feet! (ending with both hands thrown in the air in triumph)

We have never talked about the digestive process past what happens after the tummy. I don't know if he had a conversation about this with his dad. But, I thought it was pretty funny. (minus the poop on the pants and feet part.) (And he was so proud.)

Chills and Thrills: Week 4 of Camping with AC

We sign on the house this week! The sellers are leasing it back for a couple of days. So, we don't get to start moving until Friday. Our first night in the house won't be until Saturday. We are almost there!

Last week was busy getting all the odds and ends taken care of and making sure everyone else was prepared. We took some pictures of our soon to be empty apartment, just for the memories.

For those of you that don't read this blog frequently: We were kicked out of corporate housing three weeks ago due to the economy. The company brought someone back from abroad to stay in the corporate apartment. So, we scrambled to find a place to live and ended up staying in the same apartment complex to simplify things. We've been living in a 2 bedroom (Mom and Dad sleep in the living room). We have some boxes and a few odds and ends in the kitchen. The boys have their beds, and we have an air mattress that looks like it has a goiter (we hope it lasts through the week).

It hasn't been glamorous or fun or easy. But, Erik still has a job; so, we can't complain.

A sideways look at the most gourmet meal we've had in the apartment. Believe me, it was yummy. And, we are eating on a tabletop on the floor thanks to a loan from my dad.

This is our entertainment center. Our ghetto DVD player that is practically broken. My sisters will have a flashback to a VCR repaired by a rubberband when they see the picture of this beauty. (Yes, the fish toy is just putting the right amount of pressure to the DVD player so that it will continue to play and not think that someone just opened the tray, whereby starting the DVD over, again.) And, personally, I am loving Evy's post-nap hair.

I am mentally preparing to clean, yet again, another apartment from top to bottom. Thankfully, this one is smaller and I don't have to worry about perfectly clean dishes and linen . . . because, well, we don't have any!

This room is full of boxes. You don't see the wall of boxes that is behind me when I am taking the picture. We have two amazing large closets (for the size of the apartment) that are holding boxes as well.
Aunt Debbie and I went to Waco to visit Mandy and the kids. More on that Celebrity Outing soon.

At Play . . . with Big Brother Books

Everett has two books that are his favorites and have been for quite awhile now. He chooses these books over all the other ones about cars, animals, trucks, and the other books that light up and have music. It is really sweet to see him read these books with his dad. Everett will also read the books to Merritt as if he is telling Merritt how he is and will be a good big brother to him.

One book is I'm Going to be a Big Brother by Brenda Bercun, and we bought it for him a couple of months before Merritt was born. This is his favorite page. It describes what is dangerous for babies to play with followed by the page about what toys are good for babies. It is like he is constantly studying to be The Protector. We always play a game of finding what toys are bad for Merritt and what toys are good for Merritt after we read the book.

The second book is one that my sister sent. I'm a Big Brother by Ronne Randall. Everett really enjoys it and can basically tell us the story as we turn the pages. (of course we substitute his and Merritt's names for the ones in the book.)

Evy's favorite page.

To Compost or Not to Compost

I have wanted for awhile to compost. But, our new house is not exactly in a neighborhood that screams "we won't mind the smell at all!"

Do I use the old fashioned throw it in the corner of the yard (I am pretty sure the HOA won't allow this). Or a compost tumbler? Or do I go so far as the worm route?

Do any of you compost? Like it, stopped doing it, compost in an urban setting?

And, no, Erik isn't convinced that this is a good idea. (I love you, Honey!)

Composting 101

Sweet Compost Bins

Chick-fil-a and Me: The Public Service Announcement

I know all of you faithful readers have been prone to skipping "those" places with a playscape since my fun adventure of having to climb up one . . . I know you've been avoiding the horror.

But, there is hope. Your children will now be able to consume their fast food delight when I let you in on this one. (and, no we didn't go back until last week since our adventure in April)

Don't avoid it because you might have to climb the structure---CLIMB the slide instead.

I KNOW! Genius right? I am sure you are amazed because you didn't think of it first (yeah, right, how slow am I?)

It works beautifully to rescue toddlers from death-scary high play structures (or having to slide down by themselves with poop in their pants).

And, yes, you have to tell the other kids to stop sliding for a 30 second period or so.

Believe me, climbing the slide is TONS better than climbing the structure to get to the slide. I know. No, seriously. I really know.

Chills and Thrills: Week 3 of Camping with AC

We've been busy. We were able to help Dad celebrate his "double nickel" birthday. Happy Birthday, Poppa!

We bought major appliances for the new house. We hunted for rugs, finding out that our preferred rug place went out of business. Not so unusual during these times, sadly.

We went to our ward's 4th of July pancake breakfast and were TRILLED that we were not in charge of it. (Totally thrilled. And thrilled to no end that we will not be in charge of *anything* on a large scale basis for at least a couple of weeks.) Everett rode his big wheel in the parade, but he actually ended up running because that is what he likes to do.

Last minute Sunday dinner with cool people Townsends. We always laugh hard with them.

Only 2 more weeks of camping with AC. We are halfway there!

Check, Check, 1, 2, 3

I've been a little mopey since my birthday. Not sure if it is just the stress of everything (the past 18 months haven't been the easiest), just transition ickyness (the inevitable missing familiarness and friends in my old home), or that I am letting the heat get to me.

My role has changed a bit in the past year. I go from having an identity, including one that exists outside my home, to total isolation through my pregnancy, transition to a new home, and now I think I am trying to reframe who I am. Reframe and remember what I want to be. My identity with being mom and wife intertwined in/with my earthly genetics.

Today, I took some time to reflect on several women I admire. My sisters, my moms, that friend that keeps emailing to check in on me though she lives far-far away, Everett's godmother-Megan, Merritt's godmother-Rosie, that other friend who emailed me on my birthday, and those women who provide examples of joy for me.

I am sure that all of them have had to reframe who they are, probably several times. It is time for me to do that again.

My identity includes a penchant for working with at-risk and troubled children (I just have a knack for getting down to figuring out what is going on and how to best go about the next steps). My identity does include the propensity to like anything a 10 year old would like (gumballs are awesome). I like to be prompt with allowing room for irreverence. I love watching my children grow up. I enjoying being a help to Erik, a sounding board for all that he is concerned about no matter the issue. My identity includes a flair for the creativity including the mess that goes with it.

That is all I have for now.

Right now, Merritt is on my lap slathering over a teether, Everett is developing the next Olympic sport--"how far away can I jump and still land on Mom." They are the best.

At Months 6 and 7, Merritt Is a Slice of Heaven

Merritt has hit so many milestones so quickly.

At his 6 month evaluation, his stats came out as:

Weight: 17 pounds, 10 ounces (50%)

Length: 26 3/4 inches (50-75%)

Head Circumference: 17 inches (25-50%)

Merritt sprouted his first two teeth after several agonizing months of teething. The next ones are coming along, and we'll soon have some cute teeth to populate that smile.

He is crawling, rolling, scooting, and chasing after most things. He does sit, but I think he actually gets to a sitting position mostly to change directions . . . he'd just rather be moving right now. He loves sippy cups and cups of all shapes and sizes. When he sees a cup or a car on the floor, he gets the most determined look on his face and goes to town to try and get it before we can stop him.

He loves songs, has been caught bouncing to the music, and really enjoys books--tasting, turning, tearing, and reading.

I know you remember The Caterpillar. Remember, he was that long when he was born.

The first person he looks for when he wakes up is his brother. Everett and Merritt are quite a pair when playing with toys, fighting over space, or wrestling.

He has some great giggles and belly laughs. But he also has this Baby Chewbacca laugh. It is pretty funny to listen to and we are always on the prowl to make it come out.

He loves to smile at everyone, but he saves his biggest grins now for the people he knows. He has started squealing loudly when he sees his dad.

We know when he is upset or hungry because he squeals or babbles REALLY LOUD! He loves to eat. He cannot wait until he is eating what we are eating. He just watches us from plate to mouth in all our "nonbaby food" consumption.

He uses his feet as much as his hands when he plays and explores. Kind of makes you wonder where your own flexibility went.

When someone first meets Merritt, without exception, he always gets a comment on his blue eyes which his father is very quick to attribute to himself. Erik will even take off his glasses so that others can get a better look. (insert grin)

Overall, he is a pretty mellow kid. He has his rough days like we all do, but he is very happy and it doesn't take too much time hanging out with him before you see that.

In this picture, he refused to let me get a shot of his teeth. But, interestingly, you can see how his nose is kind of orange (you'll notice in some of the other pictures). That happens whenever he's had several days in a row of orange food. I am not lying. It goes right away when I stop giving him orange food for 2 days. What a crack up! (and, no, I am not giving him food with food coloring. He just has very fair skin, just like me.)

Merritt, Merritt, Everywhere

Merritt is moving, moving, moving. He is crawling, rolling, sitting, pulling up to his knees and sometimes his feet, and wiggling out of everything.

It is so exciting to watch him have such a great time. The hard part is naptime. You know how this goes . . . he pulls himself up and can't quite get back down to go to sleep. Poor guy.

He is such a gem!

Lesson Complete!

We've had several people ask about how the lesson went and I must say that it went MAGNIFICENTLY!

We [read Sheila] were getting a bit worried since this was the first lesson that we will have taught in a church setting relying solely on our own brains and experience. What can I say . . . not too much on job search techniques and spouse survival of unemployment in the doctrinal sense.

And it seemed to be just what many of them needed. We asked them to fill out a survey at the end evaluating the session and telling us what more they wanted to learn about. (we'll change congregations in a few weeks because we are moving, but maybe we can do one more thing).

One of the surprising results is that one of the most desired "checked" boxes was more information on how to become an effective job coach for someone else. For a congregation that is facing some pretty serious employment issues, it was so neat to see how many were interested in helping others.

In the next few days, we'll send out the handouts to those of you who have asked for them.

On a highly related note . . . I have the best family ever! Aunt Debbie, Uncle Apple, Gramma and Poppa ALL came to support us and provide help with the kids. (Merritt skipped all naps today . . . something about hitting milestones and teething.) We needed them to be on hand in case Everett was scared in nursery again.

Not only did they provide moral support and take care of Merritt, they helped with chairs, handouts, letting me use a fan, and telling us how wonderful we are at the end. So NICE! I love being near family. THANK YOU!

Just for our own reflections when we look back on this in five years:

• Erik and the apron hating the Kitchen skit, but not because of the apron
• Sheila tripping (yes, we put on quite a show)
• Erik: "We have two minutes left." [Wordlessly, we both look at our notes to see what more we need to say.] "I guess we'll spend it in silence."
• Sheila's "less than attractive" graphic of roles
• How Sheila ended up with the "bad" roles in all the scenarios
• "AND scene!"

Post-Move Predition

In 3 weeks: The most common phrase at our house will be,"OH, that is where it is."

We have lost/misplaced more items than we care to admit.

Chills and Thrills: Week 2 of Camping with AC

So, we made it our first week without furniture. And, dishes (only ran the dishwasher once).

It is REALLY hot here. Too hot to play outside. So, we've used up every little inch in this apartment. Not as bad as I thought it would be.

Erik had a real life David and Goliath situation at work. He handled it beautifully.

Merritt is pulling up on things. I love to see his little determined facial expressions.

We are hanging out staying quiet while entertaining our boys.

Our lesson is tomorrow.

Chills and Thrills: Our First Week of Camping with AC

So, we moved.

So, I just couldn't pull things together and get everything organized as much as I usually do when I move.

So, that means I lost the peanut butter and the camera cord. No, they aren't lost in the same box.

So, do I unpack all those boxes I said would stay packed until we moved into our house to find stuff? No, I'll just let the chaos unravel my sanity a bit each day and go and buy new peanut butter tomorrow.

If I could attach a picture, it would be of our "dinnerware"---paper and Styrofoam. We are doing our part in helping the environment by conserving water. I miss the toaster and the dining room table and chairs.

One Monday down. Three more Mondays until we move into our house.

Erik and I are busily planning and practising and revising our lesson for church on Sunday. The Bishop of our congregation arranged to have the youth cover the children's classes. We'll have all the adults in our congregation, or ward, together in one room to listen to us during the last hour of church. We are talking about jobs. How to get a job, how to further your career, and how to be a spouse of a job seeker. We feel "whelmed" with the responsibility and the need that the ward has related to employment right now.

Merritt and Evy are the cutest. I promise. Everett is expert at using the words "amazing," "not yet," and "probably" appropriately. Yes, probably. That one really caused me to pause in my own amazement. Pretty soon he'll be all grown and in college.

Today we went to another baseball game. Holy Moley, it is hot here in Texas. My sister and her husband were able to come. The heat is totally worth putting up with to get to have that chance.

Sidenote: I should have "aired up" the air mattress before Erik fell asleep.

Moving, Again

So, we are moving today. I'll be off awhile because there are always problems with reconnecting when you move.

I've seen the new apartment. It should be a fun ride. It is a short drive further into our current apartment complex.

Merritt is crawling around on the floor. Evy is begging to watch Cars; maybe it will keep him from unpacking what I pack. The current apartment is a wreck; here is hoping the chaos clears quickly, like hopefully this weekend.

Is it too early to start eating sugar?

(I was talking with Evy about what was on his shirt. We debated between an eagle or a chicken. Then, he paused, looked down at his shirt, looked back at me and said,"Flag!" Amazing how spongy the mind is.)

Chills and Thrills

We are trying to slow it down. After a trip away from the apartment, the mold has finally cleared. The tub has been repaired. Today the rotten drywall was replaced, another water issued was discovered in the other bathroom and fixed. Tomorrow we get PAINT! (Let's hear it for loving to have strangers crawl through my home every single day of this week!)

I've been packing our stuff for the move to our next apartment which we'll be in for a month. We move on Friday. I am trying to pretend that it will be like camping with AC. I am saying goodbye to our fancy cable shows . . . sniff, sniff, goodbye HGTV . . . bye-bye Handy Manny!

Our home inspection went well today. And I quote Mike the Inspector,"I'd give it an A+" . . . Bruce the Termite Dude didn't find much. So, we are off awaiting a couple more documents from the seller. Financing is done!

Merritt and Everett are a hoot. They love playing together. Evy is trying to find middle ground with taking toys away, sharing toys, and trying to find the best way to wrestle with Merritt. Merritt is one tough kid! He is basically on the edge of crawling . . . he is right there with all the pieces in line, just needs to develop some coordination.

Erik is valiantly holding it all together between work, housing, us, and his calling. We are teaching ALL the adults in our congregation in a couple of weeks (the youth will cover primary). We'll be talking about job hunting, being a spouse of someone looking for employment, and how to get ahead in the job you have. So much to fit in 40 minutes!

Now, I need to find a 2nd hand refrigerator and a new washer/dryer set. (In Texas, those appliances don't convey. And, no, I can't "add" the price of all of those to the house loan . . . it is different here in Texas when buying a home.) I figure that I'll start with a used fridge and save up for a new one later in the year. The "old" one can then occupy our GARAGE! GARAGE, people!

Gerber Daisy Birthday

My birthday week consisted of major storms, no electricity for over 24 hours, having to leave my apartment because of fixes to the tub . . . with the BEST parts being--

Trip to Waco to see my sister and her family

[and further avoid the apartment drama (thanks for housing us)]

Successfully taught lesson in RS (yes, I made them find partners and move around, we also used "sound" movements in the lesson activity)

Indian Food--Mumtaz

Lots and lots o' Gerber Daisies

Fruit tart

Evy singing a "Happy Birthday" solo

A long awaited trip to Crate and Barrel

And my boys

I couldn't have asked for more

Day to Remember or Not to Remember

Yesterday, we started out expecting Maintenance to come and finish up this irritant. No go. I guess we'll wait some more (the mold has been cleared out, but the tub still has a crack and the closet still has holes from where they cut out the rotted sheetrock).

On the way to sign the contract on the house, I was pulled over and given a written warning. Evidently, I was speeding. Oh, and I haven't switched to Texas plates, and I still carry my Virginia license. So sue me, I'm waiting until I have my permanent address. No, the kids weren't crying and distracting me. I was distracted with my own thoughts of, "Is the kitchen big enough . . . I think the yard will work . . . do I want to pay HOA dues AGAIN . . . ."

Multiple tantrums and hysterical crying at Target. No, it wasn't me this time. But it did remind me of our first week here when I spent my 30 minutes of "alone" time (Merritt was with me asleep in the basket) on the phone figuring out that it *was* the clutch that needed to be replaced in our car.

No ticket going home, thankfully.

Maintenance Guru, John, came by to check on the closet. We discover ANOTHER water issue. Big clue was the huge puddle of water that mysteriously appeared on the outside of said closet in the main hallway with the closet's carpet soaked AGAIN on the other side of the wall. The AC units in our building drain through an area in the same closet, and the drain was clogged. Water and smelly issues again.

On the phone for HOURS getting home inspection set up, getting cable, signing up for electricity, and trying to cancel Vonage. I detest these kinds of "errands" to do.

Evy was crankerpants. Has taken on a very contagious condition called, Toddler Bossitis. *I* am sure I am never that bossy.

Mercifully, I made it to the evening. We went out to eat to celebrate the house and my survival of the day. Merritt violently threw up on me in the restaurant. Three towels and 20 minutes later, I leave fully soaked from shirt to jeans. Remind me to make sure to dry my jeans this morning.

Finally got the boys to bed. I catch my favorite show Chopped. It reminds me of my struggle every afternoon to figure out how to use only what is in my pantry to make dinner. Sometimes the meal is great, sometimes it isn't, and sometimes we wisely go to get a chickenwrap from Sonic.

Only had to walk Everett back to his room until 10:30.

Mercifully, Merritt didn't wake up until 5:30--or was it 5:00?