Good to Know

This girl looks sweet, but trust me.....there's a fire in there and it burns hot.  Tonight, she let me know she was not just "the boss of the little kids, but pretty much the ruler of this house"

Sight for Sore Eyes

You know what you don't expect to see when you turn around at your daughter's soccer practice? Did you guess her 5 year-old brother walking up to you (and a crowd of parents) with his shorts around his ankles, a giant smile on his face, and his Captain America underwear proudly on display saying "Hey! Look what happened to my pants! I need a belt!" ?  If so, you're correct. I certainly did not expect to see that....but, I guess I learned a hard lesson about expectations....and the other parents learned the important lesson that Everett isn't shy about his belief in pants-optional partying.

Fingers Crossed

I just finished all the paperwork to be the assistant coach for Everett's soccer team....here's to hoping the background check doesn't turn up any dark, sordid secrets that even I don't know about.

Week One

Week one of Kindergarten is over.  It consisted of 3 school days, Amelia sneaking away on her bathroom break to go by Everett's class to check on him, and 1 visit to the nurse's office.  Looks like we're well on our way to 2030...

Take 2

Thanks to a staggered start, Everett was back in daycare today.  I'm sure he spent the day telling tales of his adventures in the big leagues.  After a tearful goodbye to the school that helped raise him (from Meggan, not him), he is excited to get back into the swing of Kindergarten tomorrow.  Is there a better way to do that than opening your lunch box to a surprise monkey drawn on your sandwich?? Yeah, I didn't think so either...

Apoc-Eclipse

We spent the day yesterday preparing for the solar eclipse... or an alien invasion....or anything else Iron Man, an angel costume, and eclipse glasses could be needed for...

Hero in Disguise

Meggan turn the corner to the stairs only to be stopped by this man .....

... luckily, he lifted his mask and said "Tricked you. It's just me, Everett!" .  What a relief... we thought a light saber waving, Captain America/Green Lantern robber had broken into our home. 

Survival Mode

Our house has been struck by a modern nightmare tonight - we lost our Internet and our cable.  I know what you're thinking and the answer is yes. Yes I did panic, grab the astronaut food and guns, and go into full survival mode.  For some reason, Meggan's phone is out of data like it's 2010.  This left us down to only my work phone.  I kid you not, we almost had to spend the night talking to each other as a family.  Luckily, I recalled we had a stack of DVDs.  DVDs, kids, are what we had to watch movies on before you could stream anything at any time to any device.  The kids and I watched The Sandlot- a childhood favorite from which Everett has now picked up "you're killing me Smalls!" while Meggan read a book. Books, kids, are things people used to read before everything was a text message, blog post, or status update.  A good movie, a good book, a little conversation; tonight wasn't a total waste.  That said, obviously if the Internet and cable aren't back on tomorrow, we're putting this dump on the market and moving to a hotel immediately. I mean, what are we, cavemen??

Better in the Dark

Reading Harry Potter is always a great experience.  However, I've recently learned if you want to take it to the next level, you simply get in your super comfy Taylor Swift shirt, turn off the lights, and read by flashlight. ..

Training

I'm pretty sure Everett was just training for getting sent out in the hall this year in Kindergarten.  I like a man that plans ahead...

Nailed It

I spent 5 hours driving to get the kids, 2 hours at a car dealership, and 3 hours working from 9 to midnight.  If anyone is looking for notes on how to have an awesome Saturday, I'm willing to share my successful formula.

Moguls

The kids had the idea of setting up a "Likity Lemonade" stand at their grandpa's "Hot Diggity Dog" cart....$40 later, it seems like that was a good idea...

Here We Go Again ... On Our Own

Last night, we said our second tearful goodbye in two weeks. Unlike with Sophie, where we had no options, this was a decision that came with great contemplation.  Unfortunately, we decided Teddy wasn't a fit for our family and we weren't a great fit for him.  He frustrated us by defying all golden retriever stereotypes.  We frustrated him by not having the time or energy to keep up with his needs.  Having said that, we returned Teddy to his breeder.  There, he was reunited with his mother, grandfather, and other family members.  The plan for Teddy's future is for him to receive proper training to channel his energy and workmanlike nature.  If all goes well, he will be donated to a soldier to act as his therapy dog.  Either way, I hope Teddy finds a lifestyle that brings him nothing but happiness. Despite our battles...and the chewed wood, torn carpet, and blankets of fur he left behind,  I will miss that handsome devil and his floppy lips.  Good bye, Teddy Boy, we love you.

 The sweetest looking puppy around...

His favorite view of the house...

Resting up after a game of ball...

Hanging with the one member of the family he truly loved....

Heading home....

Back to Reality

Im sorry for the hiatus.  We just returned home from vacation and I'm trying to get back into my routine....and by routine I mean trying to convince myself to go to work tomorrow.

Could Be Worse

Sometimes when you complain about things such as needing to spend $1,600 for a steering repair on your car, God sends you little reminders that it could always be worse....like you could pay $1,600 to fix your steering just to get a text from the mechanic letting you know one of their technicians accidentally backed into your car....