A list

• So far this morning:
• Slept in. Till 9. I deserved it after yesterday at work. But does it count as sleeping in when you don't get home till 2:30?
• Coffee. Mmm.
• Boys were up. Daughter hasn't rolled out of bed yet...
• Howie.
• Pulled the computer off the table.
• Oops. So far it seems to work just fine.
• Promptly went to the kitchen and took the vent off the floor and started digging in the ducting.
• Busy boy.
• Oliver.
• Just asked for mittens so his hands wouldn't get cold while riding his bike.
• June. Really?
• Laundry washing.
• Chased the rooster out of the porch.
• Someone left the door open.
• It's a hoot.

Monday. Gray.

After enjoying the perfect summer day at the cabin with fun company and visiting yesterday, today is quite a downer.

More. Gray skies. More. Rain.

Blue jeans. Sweaters.

Elsa woke with vim in her veins.

She didn't want french toast. She wanted cereal. Over again. Repeat.

Hmm. Maybe she's got something there.

I don't want to do laundry. I don't want to clean this house. I want to weed my garden. I want to see sunshine.

Think that'll chase away the ugly, gray skies?

Not counting on it. Judging by Elsa's success. She still hasn't eaten a thing.

Meh.

Summer!

We celebrated our first weekend off together by spending it at the Cabin. We love that place, and spend many, many hours there each summer.

It is the essence of summer-sauna/swimming, relaxation, family and food. Always lots of food.

And fishing. Elsa even got brave and went. Oliver will tell you "I caught a perch! But last year I caught a BIG -spreading arms wide for emphasis- HUGE, bass."

We've had a total of about three hot days so far. The kids cooled off on this one in the garden sprinkler.

The sun beams through the water were nifty. So far, the garden looks pretty good, I've even kept up on the weeding.

And Howie has a new trick, he stood up so he could splash in this bucket. One of his first time pulling up. Tomorrow he's ten months old, that makes him our latest walker...

A new chapter

Last night was Eric's last evening of work at the local grocery store. Today starts a new chapter: Red Eye Sawmill will be going full steam ahead, full time.

Now, if only the loggers will agree and keep him neck deep in logs.



It's exciting, although, truthfully, it hasn't sunk in yet. Eric's dreamed of this day for quite some time-working on, developing and growing this business full time- it's what he wants to be doing. For me (all of us, really), it'll be quite a change. Hubby home-or somewhere in the vicinity- every night? Weird. And weekends? We'll get to do stuff together sometimes? Wow.
(We've been working opposite weekends since I started my job a year and a half ago. meaning we haven't had a single weekend off together for that long.) Last night I was truthful with myself and admitted that I don't know what it'll be like to not have those few hours to myself between bedtime and home from work time.

Who am I kidding? He has more than enough work to keep him out of my hair.

Every morning one of the first things the kids ask is "Mom, do you have to work today? Does Dad?" The response the give depends on their mood- "Aww, shucks, I wanted you to stay home" or "Yay! We get to go to ____" We haven't really told them Eric's done working out-it'll be entertaining when they finally catch on-"Dad, don't you ever have to go to work again?"

Cheers. Here's to a successful new chapter in the sawmill business.

Glad. (I had a different title, but this seems to be the theme)

Howie
I pulled out this fleece today...

Yesterday evening there were some pretty nasty straight-line winds in PR. There's talk that there might have been a tornado. Pretty scary, but to make it worse, Eric drove right through it on his way home-he said he almost got blown off the road.

I told him he can now cross "drive through a tornado" off his bucket list.

I'm just glad he's still around to have a bucket list.

In other, less deadly, completely unrelated, humorous news...

I almost washed a kitten this evening.

It managed to sneak into the house and was blissfully sleeping in the mountainous pile of laundry. I imagine it was quite a rude awakening to be unceremoniously gathered up along with dirty pants, dumped in the washer and have water start pouring down on you...the look of kitten perplexedness was priceless.

I'm glad she found her way out before the lid was closed, however.

and had flashbacks...here's Oliver.

My boys, I think they look like brothers.

That, too, makes me glad.

A lost tooth and Happy Mother's Day!

I had one of those "I totally forgot about those" type of moments the other day when Oliver showed me his loose tooth. Immediately after that, I had a "Woah, he's getting older" type moment. The past week we've been updated daily with the status of the tooth.

Yesterday, while at his cousin's, the tooth came out. He lost it in the grass and never even mentioned it to the girls over there. When I picked them up, he was slightly concerned when I asked where it was-but, no fear, Oliver dictated a note to me, and the tooth fairy came anyhow...




And of course, she took the opportunity to use a little of her oomph to hype up the tooth brushing-no candy eating line.

When he heard her admonitions this morning, he said a sincere "Ok, I'll do that."

I like that tooth fairy.

I got a chance to go garage saleing in Fargo yesterday, sans kids.

That, was the perfect Happy Mother's Day present.

And, if you are a mother-Happy Mother's Day to you!

Brotherly love...

"Moom!" Elsa huffed, clumping up the steps.

I looked up from my coffee and book. With a deep scowl on her face, my darling daughter came in the door. Pat, clump, pat, clump. One shoe on, the other in her hand. "What's up?" I asked.

"Oliver's just not supposed to do that," she moaned. "He took my shoe off."

"Hmm," said I, tying her shoe for her, "how 'bout that."

"...ANNND," her exasperation deepened, "he put a pine cone in my hood."

As I dug the offending pine cone out for her, I couldn't help chuckling. Oh, dear. How well I remember just this sort of pointless picking. Doing something for the simple joy of getting a rise out of the other. Such a fine example of sibling love.

"Here." Figuring the younger could use a little help, I handed her the pine cone. "Go throw it at him."

Her eyes sparkling, both feet clumping, she ran out the door with a giggle.

Revenge is sweet.