Week 1 Recap

We are officially at the one week mark on the house being started. The items completed this past week include: The hole was dug, footings went in, foundation went up, and most importantly . . . the port-a-potty was delivered! Our builder is also building another house in our cul-de-sac & they dug yesterday, so just five days behind us. It is quite a site to see the mess & the two potties sitting in the circle. There is only one house between ours and the other new one, but the city requires a potty at each site. I feel bad for the two existing houses that are already there. Nothing like looking out your window and seeing a shitter at the curb. Come on, Christmas Vacation? It's a classic!


Really, "Honey Bucket?" Ok. I get the "bucket" part.

Fans!

I got Preston & Parker these U of U jerseys for their birthdays. Last year at school they kept having "jersey day" and Preston didn't have one so I thought these would be great. Of course, this year they've not had a single jersey day. Oh well. Yesterday Liam showed up at my Mom's wearing the same one. He must have been impressed.

Clowin' Around

On Sunday we went to the circus as a part of Parker's Birthday last week. I have to say that the circus has not changed much in the 25 some odd years since I've last gone. My animal loving son, Preston, loved all the animals and thought it was great that the dog rode in on a pony then out on an elephant. Parker loved anything that was acrobatic related and the motorcycles that drive in an enclosed dome. I remember loving those motorcycles when I was younger. I will admit though, I am not a huge circus fan. I don't like how the animals are treated, and I hate to see elephants & tigers in cages. We did have a good time though, and the boys thought it was great. Besides, where else can you get a $10.00 snow cone or a Diet Coke for $4.00?

80 Percent!

This posting is bittersweet. My mom's work, Bland's Nursery, has decided to do a total liquidation sale. Right now their future is uncertain, but it does not look promising that they will re-open in the spring. This is the same job my mom has had every summer for the past 30 years. Thankfully, my parents don't rely on the money she makes. She really only works there for fun & something to do. Anyway, last week they marked all of their nursery stock 80% off. Yes, EIGHTY PERCENT off! I felt guilty for being excited to buy stuff. We bought trees, shrubs, perennials, strawberries, grass seed, tomato cages, and weed barrier. It should be close to everything we need for the new yard. Did I mention it was all 80% off? We are storing everything out by my parent's barn where it will be easy to take care of. Of course, my dad has made at least 30 comments about we don't have a house but we have trees. That's not getting old at all. Yes, 80% off!

Footings

Ok. I have no idea what these do but think they are called footings. They were poured yesterday, and the next step will be the foundation. This process is so stressful to me! It is going to be a long build. Preston is so excited that things are finally starting. He has not handled the move well, and has really been struggling lately. We try to never mention anything house related around him at all because it causes him to get so anxious. Today in is school folder he had a piece of paper that he'd written, "day 1: they dug a hole. day 2: they did cement." It is very sweet. I hope he keeps writing things down. I think it will help him get through this and keep him excited about it. Maybe I need a list to get me through!

6, Six, VI

Happy Birthday, Parker! Today for Parker's birthday we did the low key thing of pizza, and cake & ice cream at my mom's house. As a part of his birthday, on Sunday we are surprising the boys by going to the circus. I love that Parker was born on September 23, which was also my grandma's birthday. Happy birthday, Roo! We love you, buddy.


This cake cracks me up. Parker saw it about a month ago & never wavered on wanting to order it. I think it is a darling cake, but it cracks me up that a 5 year old boy would pick it out.

Hole!

Hole, hole, hole! Unbelievable, hole! This has been such a long process and I can't believe that it is finally started! Who would have thought such excitement over a HOLE!?!?

He's a Star!

This week Parker is "Star of the Week" in his class. Basically what this means to him is he gets to celebrate his Birthday at school. His poster will hang in the classroom all week, he gets to bring a birthday treat on Thursday, as well as provide snack for the entire week for all the kids in his class. What it means to me is I got to make his poster, got to go to Costco today and get snacks for the week while following this very long list of what is allowed & what's not, and order & pick-up birthday treats for Thursday. Good Bye $100.00.


This is the poster I made. Of course, a sane mom would stick pictures on poster board & use a pen to write under them. Yes, that would be the easy way! The Photo Shop junkie in me just can't do that.

Eyeing

I have been eyeing up this table for a while now one of my favorite stores, Rod Works. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that store! I finally sat down & looked at our house plans and it is going to fit in our entryway. Yea! Now I just need to wait for a 25% off coupon to come in the mail. I plan to hang a matching black mirror over it that I’ve been eyeing up at Hobby Lobby, another loved store of mine. Now, if I only actually had an entryway.

The above picture is the style of table I'd like to get, but in the black color shown below.

Loving brothers!

Today Preston had a homework assignment to draw a picture of something our family does to show we care for and love one another. He wanted to draw a picture of us spending time together as a family. The thing we do a lot is go hiking together. I looked at it when he was almost done and he'd left Parker off. I asked him if he left him off on purpose and he said, "Yes, I don't want him there."


At free time today Parker chose to draw & brought this picture home of the entire family. He'd even written Preston's name on it. Hmmm . . . not sure what to make of this. This behavior is usually the other way around. And notice how he wrote his M's upside down. Yep, just call me WOW!

Vinyl

Our rough estimate is this is about 325' of pure vinyl bliss! Bless our backdoor and west side neighbors, who spent their money on a fence for us to enjoy. :-$ Now we just have to do the east side of our yard and the front gates. Still a chunk of change but the back and one side being done saves us thousands. Yipee!


The long fence part is the back of our lot, and the other side where you can only see partial is the west side. Our lot is triangle shaped since it at the end of a cul-de-sac. We will have a pretty small front yard and it will open to a good sized back yard. It is kind of funny shaped but we really like the location. It is at the end of our neighborhood so there will be no traffic but the five houses in our circle.

Picasso

Since Parker started kindergarten, he has really been into coloring and writing. In the four short weeks he's been in school both have improved dramatically. Now, keep in mind he's 5.

Football

Basketball Team


My favorite, self portrait

Smile

The annual school pictures of the boys. I really don't like Lifetouch, the company that does all the school pictures in the area. Every single year they have cut Preston's arm off so they can fit their logo on one side. Also, half the time he looks like he is tipping over. You can't see it so much in the collages because I scan them in, crop them & rotate them so they look better. Parker looks goofy in his picture this year. I can only guess there was a cute girl behind the camera that he was flirting with! When I own a hallway, I have the collage prints in 12x12 framed & hanging up and I update them each year.

9, Nine, IX

Happy Birthday, Preston! We had a fun birthday for Preston. It was the first year we’ve not had a friend/family birthday bash at home with games, water slides, & kids running everywhere. The lack of a backyard forced us to go to plan B. Preston wanted to go to a place called Incredible Pizza, which is like Chuck E Cheese, but for a slightly older crowd. When we got there it was a zoo! Who would have thought that so many people would want to go to a place like that on Labor Day. My sister pouted & refused to go in so she left. After she was gone we decided the crowd was not for us either and scrambled to find plan C. We decided just to go out to eat then mini golfing. My dad threw his fit when we said we were going out to eat so he left. Those two are exactly alike. Neither "get" that sometimes you have to go with the flow. Anyway, Preston picked Salt City Burger - Yummy! And after eating we went to Mulligans for mini golf. My dad decided to rejoin us for golf and met us there. We had a great time! I have promised Preston next year he can have a sleepover with friends, something he has wanted to do for a few years, and he doesn’t have to invite his brother. I had better start mentally preparing now for a house full of 10 year old boys! Happy Birthday, buddy. We love you!

Preston

Parker, Preston & Liam

Grandma Chickie, Grandpa & Preston. Notice how my mom & dad are dressed. It was 81 degrees and my mom was freezing. My dad alwasy dresses in flannel but my mom's sweater sticks out. Everyone else was hot & sweaty!

Parker, Brandy, Preston & Travis

Travis, Preston & Grandma Chickie

Brandy & Preston


Despicable Me Cake


U of U gifts this year were a hit

Knife!

Exciting Sunday here. We decided to have a BBQ/birthday party at my mom’s house for my nephew’s birthday. Travis had just sat down to eat, and I was up getting my plate of grilled vegetables, and he casually walks behind me and says, “I need ya.” He kept walking and went behind the house. I put my plate down and started following him and noticed he was walking funny, and saw a trail of blood on the sidewalk. He stopped & turned around and was holding a steak knife covered in blood & and holding his leg. There was blood everywhere. Turns out he was sitting down cutting his steak and dropped his knife horizontal and instinctively pushed his legs together to try and catch it. In doing this, he actually pushed the knife into his left leg with his right. So he and I took off to Insta Care. There was enough blood, and the knife went in 1.5-2”, so there was concern he’d hit the femoral artery, but he missed it. After they stitched him up we headed back to the party. It kept lightly bleeding all night & I told him more than once I didn’t think he should go to work today because when he put weight on his leg it would cause it to bleed. Of course, he was fine & he “had” to work. So off he went to work at 4:00 am. At 9:00 am I get a call that he’s bleeding like crazy & was going to the ER because Insta Care wasn’t open until later in the day because of the holiday. So a $100 copayment + 20% of the bill later, the dr tells him he’s fine but he should not be working or lifting heavy boxes, and to go home and rest. So his “had” to work day is going to cost us triple of what he made in the 5 hours he “had” to be there. The good news is he’s feeling better tonight, took the day off tomorrow, and he’ll be fine. Kids, it pays to be a vegetarian. I didn't have a steak knife on my plate. :)

Boring Day!

Today between 9:00 am – 12:00 noon at Grandpa’s house the boys rode their four-wheelers, bikes, scooters and one of their favorite things - played in the irrigation water. Also, Grandpa took them to Maverik where they got to pick anything they wanted. When they are with Grandpa they tend to buy a lot of junk and expensive things that I won’t buy them. Preston bought two M&M piggy banks at $4.00 a pop that only had a snack sized bag of M&M’s in them. Personally, if I spend $4 on M&M’s I’m getting the king sized bag! At 12:20 Parker said to me, “I don’t really like being here. There is nothing to do.” What the hell!?!?!

The Goods!

The boys love spending so much time at Grandpa's house. He has all the goods!