Good times

We've had a lot of really nice days here. Yesterday, Olivia decided to see if Daddy had a key hidden outside in case that the family was locked out. It was just after lunch around one and the kids and I went outside to play. We played and played and walked around the trail and made sand castles and strangely enough when Mommy came home around four we decided that we'd had enough and that we should go inside.

Zach has been testing his abilities with going down stairs. He crawl up near the stair and lay down on his belly. He'll reach his chubby arm out to the step and undulate his stomach forward to get some weight going down and he kindof flops down the first step. The next one is a little more difficult because he doesn't have the time to prepare his arms forward as gravity pulls him. He's getting better though and usually does OK if we hold his waistband.

We pulled a lot of weeds this afternoon. Zach and I started out in the mulch and he had fun puttering around. Olivia came out later and was a big help carrying the piles of weeds and throwing them in the woods. She would start out with arms full of grass and as she would run it would trail off behind her and by the time she got to the edge of the yard, she just had a bit left but showed great pride in her accomplishment for Daddy.

Beautiful Days

We've had some great days the past week. We've spent loads of time outside playing in the sand, swinging, walking the trail, pulling weeds, planting grass, chasing the dog and going to the doctor for checkups. The second ultrasound went well. The doctor didn't see anything to be worried about so that was good.

The kids and I were playing in the sand and Olivia was making "lunch" with plastic cups and serving me scoops of "good food." She asked Zach if he wanted any. Apparently he was really hungry because she dumped the bucket onto his head. He told her in his way that he didn't want that much food.

Thursday

We've had an eventful past couple of days. The weather has been great so the family has spent a good deal of time outside in the sandbox and walking the trail. On Wednesday I went up in the attic to try to put a ceiling fan in the sun room. I gathered my tools, climbed the ladder and stuck my head up in there. Man was it hot. I climbed back down and thought about it for a few minutes. Elena asked what the deal was and I told her. She brought me some ice water and said something about not wanting me to overheat up there. So there wasn't really any doubt that I was going up there. Just that I wasn't going to die. OK. It was cramped like nothing else. Crawling over insulation, trying to only rest on the trusses, trying to not smack my head on said trusses, laying down and wiggling through a small opening to get from the main house to the sun room and dealing with the heat. I was a sweaty mess coming back down the ladder when finished. I decided that was enough for the day and we played outside in the sand.

Then yesterday we got up for a doctor's checkup for the kids. We were just playing around at the house getting ready and there were two turkeys in the yard. A male and female and the male was a big guy. The female ran away after a few seconds but the male strutted around for a long time. Olivia enjoyed watching him a lot.

We went to the doctor's and he said that the kids were doing good and making the right progress. Zach, the way he's growing, will probably catch up with Olivia soon. After the appointment we went to Bon's Buffet for lunch. Zach took a nap when we got home and the rest of us worked outside. Elena planted some seeds and hung some windchimes and sprayed off the deck. I worked on the outdoor lights to get them to work and cleaned up the hanging electrical wires. Olivia was a big help in all projects. Elena did more sewing and I hung the ceiling fan. Unfortunately, I didn't have the right electrical box for the wall so right now we have an odd looking ceiling decoration.

Another Great Day

Well, we had another great day here in Rochester! This morning the kids spent time with Daddy, and then he had to go to work at 1:00, so then it was Mommy-time! So first we had to take naps (the kids, not Mommy). Of course, this is time they do not seem to coordinate well, so Zachary slept for a couple of hours, and then Olivia finally decided that she needed to take a nap, too. About 15 minutes after she fell asleep, Zachary woke up.

So then I decided that it was getting pretty warm in the house, and why not open up the windows? Of course, the previous owners had taken all the screens out of the windows, so I had to go to the basement and find the right ones. And then I proceeded to put them up in all the windows - about 17 in all! A good little job to get done, and then I opened up all the windows - it was perfect! The breeze was so refreshing coming through the house. It was about 75 degrees and sunny here today - just gorgeous weather. So then we all got dressed in our summer clothes and decided to go outside for a bit.

So I went out to the shed and found a whole bunch of sandbox toys, and Olivia just went absolutely nuts! She played in the sandbox for about an hour making sand castles and burying Mommy's feet in the sand. Oh, what fun. And then Zachary loved playing in the sand, too, although he was mostly interested in playing with the trucks and then later tasting the sand. Olivia's high moment was that she found a baby worm, and after some convincing, decided to let it go in the grass so that it could grow up some more before it played with her later.

Then some supper, and after a while bathtime (always a highlight of the day), and then Zachary went to bed, and Olivia is just enjoying some quiet time before going down for the night. She's been playing with a bunch of her toys - of course, it's been interesting watching her play with her "naughty" bunny, which is always crying or fussing and which always wants to be carried and so she repeatedly tells the rabbit that she does not want to carry it and that it needs to go to bed (rather forcefully told). It was kind of cute, and I noticed that she only did this when Zachary was fussy before bathtime. So we've decided that maybe Olivia isn't quite ready to babysit (especially fussy kids).

Anyway, not much else happening here. I've just been rather tired these days. Some nausea here and there, but nothing to complain about. Actually, I kind of wish I had that more because that's the only way that I know that the baby's okay - I know it sounds kind of silly, but I can't feel the baby yet, and just always want to know that it's okay. More later...

posted by Elena

Olivia and the Rabbit

Olivia is currently in a great argument with her yellow stuffed rabbit. Apparently the rabbit wants to be carried and to stay awake. Olivia on the other hand does not want to carry it and wants it to go to sleep. She is shouting out a one way conversation at the poor bunny. "Go to sleep!" "I'm not going to carry you!" Over and over she tells it how it is. She'll tuck it in a basket and rearrange it's ears and then scream at the poor guy.

Paul called this morning and wanted to know why I didn't call him to congratulate him on his Cubbies sweeping the Cards. I told him that the season was just starting and we'll just see how it ends up.

A great day in Minnesota

Hi all! We have had some really great days lately! Of course, as you probably read earlier, Zach started walking yesterday, but hasn't since then - guess he's had enough gummy worms.

And the weather has been so perfect the last couple of days! It was around 60 degrees here today! And sunny and gorgeous out, too. I am so-o-o-o-o-o ready for spring I think. Perfect for being outside a lot.

So then today my friend Becky called. She was babysitting for her brother's three little girls - twins age 3 1/2 and the little one 1 1/2 - and she was going crazy. So she called me this morning and wondered if we wanted to go to Byron to the Oxbow Farm and Zollman Zoo. I'd never heard of it, but thought it might be a great time for the kids, and who doesn't want to get out and socialize once in a while?!? So we go there and it was pretty cool. They had wild turkeys, eagles, owls, foxes, wolves, coyotes, and bison, to name a few. Olivia had a blast running through one of the fields out there and I almost hated to make her leave, but it was getting to be about time. Zach was just kind of fussy - he got awoken a bit early from a nap and didn't appreciate it too much, I guess.

And then it was about lunchtime, so we decided that it was time to feed all the girls and Zachary. So off to McDonald's, which is really a treat for our kids. Olivia ate all her chicken nuggets - a personal best for her, I think. Zachary ate about 3 French fries and then discovered that he could throw things over the side of his high chair and Olivia would hop down and pick up whatever every time. So this continued for about 20 times of throwing things, and then she started saying things like, "Zachary, that's enough," "No, no Zachary," you know, typical Mom things to say to little kids. It was kind of cute.

Then we came home and Olivia decided that it was naptime right away, and then slept for a few hours. Zachary decided that he was NOT going to take a nap, so he and I hung out until Scott came home around 1:00. Then the boys went outside to play and the girls rested.

Now this evening we've enjoyed walking on the trail and swinging on the swings. And had a good supper. And now we're just kind of entertaining ourselves trying to delay bedtime a little longer so that the kids sleep all night and at least until 7:00am tomorrow. Let's hope so anyway.

posted by Elena

Zach walking

Zach showed us his first real walk today. Olivia was tormenting him with some gummy worms. He wanted some and went on after her. He took 4 or 5 good steps to her and she gave him one. We were so impressed.

Iowa wrestling

Been quite a row recently about the contract with Jim Zaleski not being renewed. Looks like Tom Brands will be offered the job and that Lee Fullhart is in the rumor mill about being an assistant of some sort. Jim's teams have been tailing off in results the past few years. He's won 3 national titles and gotten second twice but the past years have been brutal for him with finishing 6th in the Big Ten this year. Hard to fire a coach like him but they're pretty excited about trying for Brands.

Been seeing lots of squirrels around my feeders recently. I talked with Elena about getting a gun but she shot that idea down. I was thinking about getting a slingshot but I wouldn't want to hit the feeders if I missed.

Olivia has been really getting into Warren Zevon recently. She asks for "Lawyers, Guns and Money" and likes to howl along with "Werewolves of London." Elena disapproves of these choices but Olivia has a great time with all his grunts and "Aaahooo's."

We went on a walk around the trail today. Zach held our fingers and walked a good 50 feet before he tired out of that. We laid in the grass but he didn't like that as much because the grass was hurting his tender fingers. Olivia and I built a little fire while Zach took a nap.