Catching Up

1. Bob took the boys on a "father/son" campout at a local park Friday night. It was organized by a man in our local homeschool support group, and this was the fifth annual campout, although the first we've participated in. It was very drizzly and yucky Friday, so we weren't sure how things were going to go, but we gamely got everything packed up and loaded. It was just misty during the evening, and the boys all assured me they weren't even cold and didn't even need to change into jeans or put sweatshirts on. Anna, Grace, and I were glad to be warm and dry, however, LOL. Nathan summed up the experience as "eating, sleeping, and throwing stuff into the fire". Sounds like a good time for boys! They roasted hot dogs and made smores. Bob thought to bring our shade pavilion thing, so he set that up and the kids played in there, staying dry, while the parents sat around the fire.

After a dampish night of sleep and a breakfast of pancakes, the boys put their soccer things on and went straight to their games. Anna, Grace, and I met them there. The weather was no longer rainy, but instead was very hot and humid. They all played really well--you would have never known they were tired! That showed up later on though, so they all had an early night on Saturday, LOL. Meanwhile, I had the momentous task of washing all the things they took on the trip, since everything was very damp and had been crumpled up in Bob's van for a hot morning. Yuck! I did 5 loads, including pillows and some sleeping bags. It was a success though. All the boys had a wonderful time and could not have cared less that it rained (well, I think Bob cared, LOL).

2. Anna is still doing really well at pottying. She went through a little phase, after we bought some pink pull-ups at the commissary (only for nighttimes), where pull-ups were all she wanted to wear during the day as well. Well, I definitely am not planning on stopping paying for diapers, jsut to start paying for pull-ups, so I told her if she chose to wear a pull-up during the day, then she had to wear a diaper that night. After one night back in diapers, she decided underwear really were pretty good for the day, and we haven't had any more problems, LOL. She's even started going most of the time on the big potty. Yay!

3. We are the proud owners of a Little Tykes kitchen! Our good friends, Tim and Amy P, who we have been stationed with before and who are in our Bible study now, asked us last week if we were interested in their old one, since their girls have outgrown it. I knew Anna and Grace would LOVE a kitchen, so I immediately said yes! We got it Friday night after Bible study, and Anna and Grace have indeed been having such a wonderful time with it. It's just sort of sitting in the middle of the family room right now, but my plan is to clear out the playroom and put it in there. I really want to go through the toys in there and put a lot into the basement or into boxes (or into the trash/Goodwill pile--shhh!), but I just haven't had the energy or time.

4. Our "new" air conditioner--the one on the main floor--is not working! We had a cooler week last week, so we turned it off, and even had the heat on once or twice in the morning, and now that it is hot again, the AC is not working! Fortunately it hasn't been blistering, but it has been humid, so the house has been uncomfortable. Bob is calling the guys who installed it, so hopefully they'll be able to come out and put it to rights . . . but it doesn't inspire long-term confidence, that's for sure.

5. This is a big week for us--the ultrasound is Wednesday afternoon at 3:00! Everyone has been asking me if we know what this baby is for many weeks now, so hopefully I'll have a clear answer to give them after Wednesday! Stay tuned!