Thrift Store Fashionista

Doesn't she look adorable?

Happy Birthday L!

A week after his birthday, Loofa is already working on his list for next year.  At least he can write it himself.  J was trying to tell him that it is not worth it to write it now since his likes will have changed in a year, but he can't be dissuaded.

I have to confess that I almost spaced getting birthday presents this year, I was so wrapped up in getting ready for Christmas.  Thankfully, Loofa's list was long enough for about 10 children's wishes so it wasn't hard to find stuff he'd like and quickly.  The green machine was a big hit, except for the fact that Loofa appears to be taking after the short side of the family.  Hopefully he will be big enough for it this summer.  Till then, Brother B has been enjoying using it.  So much so, that he has decided to save up his money for his own green machine.

The outfit is for Taekwon do.  The boys have been taking it for about a month.

Loofa chose Chuck E Cheese for his bday party.  He loves his best friend too.

Christmas 2011

We went straight from getting settled in the new home to the very busy Christmas season.  For all it's craziness it was definitely filled with some priceless gems.

Doesn't get much better than preschool performances.

The boys had varying degrees of excitement about their performance.  I will say, it was very refreshing to experience Christmas at a school that could care less about being politically correct.

 The annual Nelson White Elephant party is always a blast. J definitely shines.

Fefe was a sheep in our ward Nativity play this year.  My friend did an amazing job on the costumes!

Santa is telling Fefe to be careful, she is very close to being on the naughty list.

Loofa had a very long list to tell Santa.

In order from left to right: Ephant, Loofa, Fefe, and Brother B.

Christmas morning was a success!

Boredom Does Crazy Things

Yes, I know, I hate bangs. What can I say?

Next Gen Cat Cage

We are all moved in and having a great time. The kids haven't even cried themselves to sleep.

I did a lot of research to find a good cage for Rush. This seemed like the best solution.

He hasn't been too happy, but at least I know he isn't going to run away until he gets used to the new place. I put Glen in there for a few minutes to keep Rush company, but he started shivering so bad I had to bring him in. Glen has been pretty happy inside, but he is definitely dying to go out. I had to put him in the tent again with Rush last night because he was squawking so much. This morning we discovered both of them out of the tent. He figured out how to move the zippers and escape. I'll have to tie them closed next time.

I'll post pictures of the rental later so you can picture where we are living :)

Mouse-pocalypse

One of my cats, not sure which one, has killed 5 mice in the last 5 days. That's right, that's one mouse per day. I'm sure the mice are shivering in fear. I just can't believe how many it has been. They used to kill maybe 3 or 4 a year. Maybe it is a final swan song before we move. Let this be a warning to the mice living around our rental, your life span has just been shortened significantly. Well, you'll have a two week reprieve while we keep the cats inside to reset their GPS.

Fefe's Portrait

Where We Are At

I keep hoping that I can post this when all the jumping through of hoops is done with. I think we might get there today. This house sale is pretty much guaranteed to go through, but it has been a major headache. The inspection happened fairly quickly because the buyers agent had to go out of town for a week. They initially asked for:

1. roof replacement

2. GFI circuits to be repaired/replaced

3. dry rot in front door jamb replaced

4. window in front replaced

5. handrail on interior stairs

6. attic discoloration tested

7. install two CO2 detectors

8. find out why furnace had low airflow and repair

Negotiating on these repairs took a good 10 days. We ended up giving them everything except a new roof. I hate this buyers market. For the roof, we got a 3-5 year certification to satisfy lending. Most of the repairs were fairly easy. The furnace was pretty dang frustrating though. A friend in our ward hypothesized that something was blocking the airflow in the return duct. I poked my head in to look and found two blocks of wood pretty much completely blocking the flow. Some idiot had left those two spacers in there when they built the house! I just always assumed we had a crappy furnace. It kept the house warm enough, but imagine how much cheaper our electric bill could have been all these years. J had to tear off the dry wall, open up the duct, knock out the spacers and then put up a new sheet of dry wall.

Once all the negotiating on the repairs was done we had to get the appraisal. Because this is a VA loan they had to order it through the VA. It took 5 days to get the appraiser out and then we had to wait another 5 days for the report. The VA appraiser has the power to require repairs if he thinks something isn't safe, etc. I think this has turned out to be the most frustrating requirement. Our deck is built at a height that code does NOT require a handrail. Apparently the lender can still require one if they deem it unsafe. We can't even fight that if we want this sale to go through. The appraiser did tell us the rail doesn't have to be to code though, just some posts and a couple boards across. Funny and ironic, huh? Today, we are hoping to get the buyers to agree to pay for half of it. Once they do, we hit the homestretch of just waiting for the bank to get the closing papers drawn up. I cannot wait for this process to be over. I have had to do so much work, make a million phone calls and just sit here on tenterhooks waiting for things to be resolved.

We hope to start moving into the rental house beginning of next week. We'll probably move all the big stuff on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Our official closing date is the 28th, although it could be pushed back a couple days depending on what happens today.

School Portraits

Here are the kids pictures for this year. They are full size so you just need to click on them and then do save as.

10 Years and Still Counting

Brother B is old enough to babysit! Oh yea, he had a birthday too. Brother B made me a nice list to choose from this year for his birthday. Thank goodness, I hate to think too hard about presents.

We somehow managed to squeeze all the festivities into the day. Our traditional happy meal for birthday lunch was fun. I had three different lunch schedules to accommodate. Thankfully the other three have birthdays on non-school days. Not sure how we managed to luck out on that.

I tried to avoid melting candles in the hot monkey bread this year. Didn't happen.

Target practice for when we need to fend for ourselves. Too bad the gun doesn't simulate a recoil.

Howl O Ween

We had an Xmen theme this year, mostly. Fefe decided a couple weeks before Halloween that she wanted to be Rapunzel (one of a million). We'll see if she can resist the siren call of princesses next year. She didn't believe us when we told her she was Tigger last year. She was certain she was a princess (she was half the time so she was partly right).

Ephant was Rogue

Rapunzel, or Tangled

Wolverine

Cyclops

I was pretty proud of myself on the job I did cobbling the kids costumes together. It can be so pricey to buy the ready made costumes. Except for Fefe's it probably cost me just $15 for the other kids. Thanks Thrift City! I was particularly happy with Brother B's biker jacket. I found that just a few days before Halloween. We were trying to find an alternative and I spied that on a front rack and did a little jig for joy. It really made the outfit. That and the uni glasses off of ebay. We dyed both Brother B's and Loofa's hair dark. It is permanent, so they'll be this way for awhile. Loofa looks so different, Brother B, not so much.

Trunk or Treat at the new stake center was awesome. There was enough room to park every car along the sidewalk so there were no safety concerns. Afterwards we went trick or treating in the neighborhood where we plan to build our house. I think the kids got a pretty good haul. Fefe managed to eat her's up in a few days. Loofa's lasted about a week and Ephant and Brother B are still working on theirs. Self restraint. I, myself, am having to go on a diet because of all the readily available sweets. Poor J is on a health imposed diet because of the the terrible reflux he has had the last couple of weeks.

Massive Update

We're still trying to sell our house, but we are keeping plenty busy with the kid's activities. The boys have decided they love their new elementary school. Loofa has a bit of a crush on his teacher. It's pretty cute to hear him talk about her. He's decided he loves school because of her.

Ephant has started algebra. It is a challenge, but the rest of her classes are plenty easy. We've decided to quit violin this year. She has been playing it so many years without making much progress. She'll probably pick it back up in middle school or high school.

Fefe taking the fashion world by storm, each and every day.

At our yearly campout, Uncle S discovered one of his poles didn't fit quite right.

I'm going to miss this.

Brother B has been goalie for his team quite a bit. This actually turns out to be quite boring because his team is so good that defense hardly has to do anything.

A brother B soccer team sandwich (he's on the bottom).

One of the many open house displays I arranged for our new stake center.

Fefe's first preschool field trip. These firestation field trips are starting to feel like old hat.

A look of pure delight.

The class.

Loofa is loving soccer this year.

Last Saturday they played a team of amazons. Loofa ran as fast as his little legs could.

She's learning how to pose.

Confusion

Fefe just asked when she was going to be pregnant with me again. This follows her asking a few days ago when she would be old enough to date.

Who's Right?

I'm so torn about this story. The rational/libertarian side of me says that they should be allowed to do what they want, as long as they aren't actively harming the children. My heart breaks though for the poor kids that suffer from easily treatable medical conditions. It is definitely a slope, but how far down we should go, I don't know.

I'm reminded of the issues senior citizens and their caregivers deal with. I can't imagine wanting to live with the quality of life some seniors have. I'd hope that someone caring for me would be able to take away all medications except those that would continue to make life comfortable. I have no interest in extending my life in bad health. The problem is that it is not easy to take away medications. The state will often intervene and force the caregiver to continue the medication. Do they have that right? I don't think they should. The two stories are somewhat similar and since it is a slope and not a clearly defined boundary for quality of life it is hard to know where to draw the line.

I personally would say that the biggest factor is age. Children should be afforded all the care they can receive. Once you are an adult you can decide whether or not to treat your UTI. Of course, that then raises the question of what caregivers should be allowed to do for seniors with the mentality of a child. Which is why, EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE AN ADVANCED DIRECTIVE!

There's my soap box for the day.

One Last Thing

I really wanted a new bedspread before we put our house on the market, but between vacations and everything else, I didn't have time till now to finish it. This time I looked through various pictures online to get an idea of styles I liked. I had orginally wanted a blue themed quilt, but wasn't happy with any of the blue flannels. It's not perfect, but it is good enough! We'd used our last quilt for 12 years so it was definitely time for an upgrade. Hopefully this one will last just as long, it was alot of work!

I've really enjoyed piecing quilts lately instead of just tying a couple sheets together. Next one will be for Fefe. When I can motivate myself again :) Now I just need to catchup and clean the house. I've been trying to clean it every Friday so it is ready for the weekend. J is out of town this weekend so it should be fun. Two soccer games, a baptism, subbing in primary, Loofa has a talk in Primary and Ephant is having a sleepover tomorrow night. That's what prozac is for, right?

Growing Up

Fefe started preschool this year so I've had a couple hours to myself Mon, Wed, Fri. It's a pretty short amount of time, but it sure feels weird. Fefe is absolutely in love with preschool. On Monday she told me I didn't have to walk her to the door, that she could go in by herself. My little girl is growing up. I don't let her go without a kiss and a hug though. It's interesting to see the enthusiasm with which she approaches things. I'm sure some of it comes from being the youngest, but alot of it is her personality too. Loofa has never had this kind of enthusiasm.

Fefe started dance this year too and is absolutely in love with it. She'd be in heaven if she could go everyday. Our school pickup route goes past the dance studio and her preschool and every time we go past she shouts out, "There's my dance class!" and "There's my preschool!".

Loofa and Brother B aren't nearly as excited for school, but they are resigned to it. Brother B is pretty disappointed that his two best friends from Gales Creek aren't at Dilley. I feel bad for him being shuffled around to so many schools. At least next year he'll be at the upper elementary. Once you hit those grades there is only one school to go to in the district.

Ephant was almost as enthusiastic for school to start as Fefe, mostly to see her friends again. She ended up with a pretty awesome teacher this year. She still wants to teach them art and social studies even though the administration is pushing math/literacy so heavily. It is not fair that my child should be punished for another child's failure to read.

Twisted

Brother B had a tooth pulled a couple of weeks ago. He had been in pain for a couple months on and off. I finally took him to the dentist. We thought for sure it was just a cavity, but it turned out he had a very misshaped tooth. The roots were twisted in such a way that an abscess could form. Doc cleaned it out and told us if it started hurting again it would have to be pulled. It didn't take too long for that to happen, there was just too big of a hole so the abscess had a nice roomy mansion to live in. It was such a crazy looking tooth that our dentist kept it so he could take pictures of it. Along with twisted roots it also has a couple extra roots. Crazy. I told Brother B he probably has a twisted brain too. The hope is that the molar next to it can move over to take this one's spot and then the wisdom tooth can be the replacement for that one.

In which the kids get run over

Took these pictures almost two years ago, but I stumbled on them going through old pictures and decided to finally create the gif:

http://gifninja.com/animated-gifs/263283/kids-get-run-over

Obviously I need to use a tripod next time.

Here's the Listing!

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2813-22nd-Pl_Forest-Grove_OR_97116_M23865-77040

This Day is Such a Special One

We pulled a fast one on Fefe this week and delayed her birthday by a day. Thursday was just too crazy. She has barely any concept of time so it was easy enough to move it. I just had to tell everyone to not say Happy Birthday to her on Thursday. Of course, that didn't stop her from begging me to make her cake every day for a week.

Fefe is so easy to shop for at this age. She's get excited at just about anything, but I knew she would love new clothes and jammers so we gave her a few of those. She fell in love with Strawberry shortcake on Netflix so Ephant convinced me to get her a couple SS stuff.

I decided to use my new fondant skills and attempt a decorated cake. She had seen a princess cake at Walmart that she really wanted. I bought some princess cake decor from Michaels and went with a pretty simple round. What's funny is that I'm not a huge fan of regular frosting, but I quite like homemade fondant. I put some whipping cream in the middle layer for some added yumminess. I definitely should not start a cake making business though. I do not have the steadiest hand in the world as is apparent in the writing on the cake.

Thankfully she isn't quite so crazy about her birthday as Loofa. Now that it is over she hasn't started bugging me about the next one yet. That Loofa boy sure takes anticipation to a whole new level.

2011 Dance Recital

I'm about 2 months behind, but here is Ephant's Dance recital. She did two classes this year, Tap and Hip Hop. She wasn't super enchanted with tap, mostly because she was the oldest by far.

Fefe Funny

Fefe was standing on the new dishwasher door. When I yelled at her, she said "Why, is it made of glass and did Jesus make it?". I don't know what she is learning in church, but Jesus gets thrown into a lot of conversations.

Still Here

In case you think we've disappeared, I though I'd write a quick note. Summer is going by way too fast! Most of you know that we have been in the process of designing a home and hopefully building it some day. Last month we met with a construction loan broker and ever since we have been working hard. A week ago I decided it was time to really start getting the house ready. I spent about 3 days stuffing as much stuff as I could into a 10x10 storage room. I'd love to put even more in there, but ran out of space. It's not bad though. I managed to keep the most important stuff towards the front at least. It could be about a year before we have access to everything in there. We'll hopefully list the house in the next week or two. Our plan is to have the new home done by next summer. If we are able to sell this house before then we'll just live in a rental. J is not excited about that part, but we both decided we'd feel better getting the house on the market sooner rather than later.

Since getting all the stuff in storage we've been working on quite the repair list. J has some trim and baseboards he needs to finish up. We have to put new closet doors in the kids rooms. Plus all the touch up paint, etc, etc, etc. We've taken good care of this house though and put plenty of love into it. I can't imagine anyone walking in and not loving it. Okay, maybe I can, but I will miss it.

The kids have reached the point that they are ready to move. We've been talking about it long enough. They are mostly excited to get into a better neighborhood with more playmates to choose from.

Once we get the house ready to list, I'll take some pics and put them up.

Scaredy Cat

We had Dish Network installed last week. While I was working on the computer, the tech was installing the receiver. I realized I hadn't seen Fefe for awhile and this is what I found:

Fefe wanted to be with me, but she was too nervous to be around the installer. So, she went in the garage and just kept an eye on us through the cat door. Funny thing is that the lights were off in the garage too. Silly girl.

Last Day of School, Yippee?

It was a very sad/happy day today. I love it when the kids get out of school, but I've found myself on the verge of tears all day because of Gales Creek closing. The board votes Monday so we'll find out then for sure. I feel so bad for Brother B's teacher. He was truly great with B and it is so rare to find a male teacher in elementary schools these days. Sadly, he is a victim of the stupid seniority rules of the teacher's union. I remember when the kids first started, one of my friends described the school as a real gem. She was so right. It is too bad every school can't be this small and friendly.

Loofa's kindergarten graduation.

Picture Addendum

I was browsing through a professional photographer's website the other day and realized I really have a lot to learn when it comes to processing photos. I really should devote more time to it, but Lightroom does simplify it quite a bit. Check out this before and after:

I think I'm improving :) I'd love to take a lightroom class, but it costs $230! Not sure I can justify that with how little I actually use my camera.

2011 Family Pictures

After months of leaving my photography equipment up, we finally did family pictures this evening. Enjoy!

Way too many vampire shows lately.

Muscle men.

Behold!

Loofa is funny and Ephant is about to get grumpy.