Elizabeth's visit

Who knew that when I posted an ad for a mother's helper when we were pregnant with Opal two years ago, we'd also be gaining a lifetime friend? Despite Jack's diagnoses of pink eye and an ear infection earlier on Thursday, Elizabeth decided to risk visiting us from Minneapolis this weekend (She was coincidentally the one who helped hold down the kids for the dreaded drops the last time they had pink eye, back when Opal was born- fortunately, no drops this time- just amoxicillin, which is apparently a treat). We managed to keep her visit a secret until the kids came down for breakfast on Friday morning, when out she came from the family room. I wish I'd caught their reactions on video. We had jaw-drops and running into the other room, screaming with joy.

Despite the kids' especially ornery behavior (Summertime? Too much excitement? Too much ice cream?), we had a fun-filled visit. We visited Memorial Terrace on Friday for lunch and ice cream, played many a game of Sequence for Kids, enjoyed the bubbles that Elizabeth brought for the kids, went to New Glarus Village Park (it happened to be Heidi Days, so we walked around the cute little town to see the vendors), had more ice cream, grilled out, played more games, watched We Bought a Zoo, went to Mass, had lunch at Culver's (more ice cream, or rather, custard)... What a fun weekend! Now for a short week before Mike's four-day holiday weekend!

We are blessed.

2014 (Jan-June) kids' read-aloud book list

And for the younger crowd... we've been very motivated by the summer reading program at the library, especially Jack, who reads for at least an hour by the light of his reading lamp after hours almost every night. We've read gobs of shorter books from the library and our own collection-- and Mike has read others to the kids for bedtime, but here are the longer ones I've personally read (or am reading) to the kids at the halfway point of 2014.

She's already taking her baby brother's things...

As always, I didn't do a gauge, and Baby Boy's hat will likely be a bit loose this winter. But it's good to know it'll fit him next winter! For now, his big sister has embraced it as her own. "MINE!" She is pretty delectable in it, I must say. Those hats are so quick and easy to whip up, I'll make him a matching newborn one. Then I can gobble them both up. (insert evil laugh)

{pretty, happy, (fun)ny, real}

{pretty} We've lived here 8+ months, and I can't get over it. Any of it.


{happy} The girls (mostly Abigail) picked these. That was their first trip out, and there are so many more lighter red and yellow ones (and blossoms) out there that will be ready to pick in the coming days and weeks. It's exciting how many edibles our yard is yielding, and we haven't planted any of it! One of these days months years, we will have a satisfactory garden of our own doing.


{fun} What can I say? Apparently we're not being too funny around here. But the kids have been having a ton of FUN in the woods in front of our house, clearing out a little "secret hideaway," which Jack has named "Woods House." He's very creative, my boy. Actually, he really is. And this hideaway under the brush reminds me so much of a place we used to have in our woods, which we called, "The Huth House" (short 'u' sound in Huth). We spent hours upon hours down there, clearing out individual rooms, making beds out of sticks. This is just what I'd dreamed for their childhood. That they'd disappear into the woods for hours so I could sit here and blog. Hah. Kidding-- but that's what ofttimes happens ;^)


{real}
Master Bathroom Week Two progress update: There's a plank of plywood over the bathtub so he doesn't damage it during the rest of construction, and I guess so he has a place to store things. Besides an electrician one day and a plumber the first week, it's just one guy working every day, and I he seems to be doing a great job. He's also very respectful and tidy, and he brings the kids in to explain his progress when they're curious. About 2 more weeks to go...