The Puddles

The kids were looking forward to this day since they saw pictures of it last summer on the church’s website.  The day was below 100 degrees so it is fun.  Ainsley only stayed for a little bit before she was finished being dirty with bubbles.  The other two stayed until the bubbles went away.  Of course, Ben ended up getting sick later and throwing up because of the heat and the bubbles.  He was fine but we had to come home early.  All in all it was a good day!

Ainsley and Rosie have a contemptuous relationship. Rosie is trying to climb up the food chain in our house.  Rosie does not generally like Ainsley.  Most of the time Rosie is attacking Ainsley.  She jumps on Ainsley’s head  from the top of the stairs.  Jumps out at her from under chairs and the back of the coach.  Ainsley generally yells back.  Only when Ainsley is asleep does Rosie win.

For those non-Texans out there, taking pictures of your children in a field of bluebonnets is an annual event.  In the spring time when the bluebonnets are looking their best, you will see parents pulled over to the side of farm roads, highways and the interstate with cameras in hand trying to get the best pictures of their children.  Some parents hire professional photographers to take these important pictures.  We (well, really it was me with a reluctant husband by my side)  grabbed our cameras and our three children and hit the road looking for the perfect patch of bluebonnets.  These pictures are our first annual photos.

Park our car in the garage! Cool isn’t it!  Thank you Chris and others who worked hard to make this happen!  For all of those who have garages but have never parked a car in it, please don’t be jealous!

The playroom is almost finished.  The kids played in it today.   We moved all of the baskets of toys inside.  Now we have to sort, toss, give away, and put away.  We hope to have pictures soon of our newest adventure in home repair!  Of course, this repair was not planned, but was absolutely necessary.  Our recently departed cat, Abby, had peed and pooped on the floor so badly that no one could go in there it smelled so bad. (She was senile and mad at us for adding a cat to the family and moving to Texas.) It had become the “poo” room.  Now we tore everything out, bleached the heck out of the concrete slab underneath it, and placed three layers of plastic under the new wood floor.

Soon!!!  It will be finished!

Flying kites was so easy while we were there.  You just tossed the kite in the air and it flew.  We did discover two things.  One . . . Ainsley loves to fly kites.  Two . . . Ben is terrified of kites.  He had so many breakdowns he started having panic attacks.  He thought the kites would fly away.  Nothing could convince him otherwise.  So he and I would take walks while the girls and Dad had fun with the kites.

Look carefully and you can see the kite.

All smiles!

We have heard from Ben’s surgeon and he will have surgery on November 18th. We will see the surgeon on October 5th for a consultation. We were told that the date is “fluid.” If there is an opening, he might go earlier. On Oct. 5, the surgeon could decide to move the surgery date up. We just don’t know. Now we start to prepare! Cleaning the house. Stocking up on supplies. Talking to teachers and the school officials. Lining up volunteers to help with the girls. The list is long, but we will make it! My most important job is to keep Ben healthy until the day of his surgery. No flu. No colds. No mysterious fungal infection. My children have always managed to get every weird illness known to man. In fact we may have discovered a few more. So it won’t be easy!

Ainsley’s first day at St. James Episcopal School in the preschool class was a lot of fun! She had a great time in class eventhough she had six stitches behind her left ear.  Yes. That’s right.  Ainsley is my first kid to have stitches.  Ben says he had stitches first, but they really don’t count since they looked like twist ties in his chest!  His words. Don’t worry. Papa and Grandma Grace have already threatened to come and get her and the other children so that no more harm will come to them.

First off, there were three adults in the house when it happened and we still didn’t see it.  Secondly, she did go somewhere where she knows that she is not allowed.  And thirdly, I feel bad enough already that my baby got hurt!!!!

Ainsley climbed on top of the second bunk in Ben’s room.  She fell off the bed and was wedged between the wall and the bunk bed.  She had a plastic headband on her head and the headband cut through the back of her ear.  We called her pediatrician and they don’t do stitches!!!  We called the doctor who Chris and I go to (who happens to also be a member of the church) and he met Chris in his clinic after hours and quickly sewed Ainsley up.

Ainlsey was a brave soul and only whimpered.  Her reward  was getting to go to preschool which she absolutely loves!!!

We have been preparing for Ben’s first day of school for three months.  We purchased new clothes and supplies.  We had picked out a special first day of school outfit.  When the day came for the first day of Kindergarten, Ben comes down the stairs wearing this t-shirt that he has outgrown and worn one too many times.  He loves this shirt.  I’m thinking about all of the photos I plan on taking that day and how I will immortalize the first day of kindergarten in my mind with this image.

Then Chris pointed out that this was probably the MOST appropriate shirt in his entire closet.  Because . . . the day before Ben tried (and succeeded!) in using a piece of 2×4 wood to “surf” down the stairs.  He confessed to his deed with a proud glint in his eye.  We weren’t sure whether to praise him for his creativity or scold him for his dangerous behavior.  So we told him “Not to do that again” and “very creative use of your imagination.”  We thought we were done until I asked Ben to take the laundry basket downstairs.  I came out of his room only to see him sitting inside the laundry basket while teetering on the stairs trying to launch himself in the basket down the stairs!!  Again, he did not technically break any rules!  So after yelling, “Ben DON’T do that!”  I explained all of the things that we could not do on the stairs.  I hope that I covered it all!!!!!

In the end, Ben had a great day on his first day of kindergarten all the while wearing his favorite t-shirt.