Would you like some cookie with your sprinkles?

Just some pictures

We really haven't done anything fun or exciting lately, so I thought I'd just share a few pictures I've taken in the last few weeks. When do kids start smiling normally when you say smile??

Show and Tell

Alexis got to bring a "show and tell" item to school last Wednesday. I thought it would be hard for her to decide what to bring, but she knew what she wanted to bring. Let me just start by saying that Alexis has at least 50 (maybe closer to 100) stuffed animals and would happily take 50 more. She's always ooohing and ahhing over them at any store and begging to buy them all. So, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that that is what she chose for show and tell. She brought her Rudolph that she got last Christmas and a stuffed elephant. These 2 have always been at the top of her list of favorites. I wish I could have heard what she told the class about them.

My new nephew

There is a new addition in Karen, Dennis and Eliot's family! Baxter was born on 9/28 (his due date) and is doing great. We went to visit them on the 29th when they came home from the hospital. He was only 7 lbs at birth and seems so tiny! Eliot is doing great with his little brother. Alexis was so cute with him. She loved holding him and was so sweet. Luke didn't really care much about him. Apparently babies aren't his thing :)

I loved holding such a little baby, but was happy to give him back to Karen. I guess my baby days are behind me. I couldn't get both Luke and Alexis to sit with me while I held Baxter, so there is a picture of me with them separately. Oh well, someday they will cooperate, right??

First Day of Preschool!

Alexis had her very first day of preschool yesterday! I was a little worried about it just because she's been a little clingy lately but she did just fine. She goes again tomorrow and is excited about it. Today she is going over to her friend Simone's house to play and I'm actually just going to drop her off and her mom will bring her home later. This will be the first time I've just left her at a friend's house without staying myself. I'm sure she will be on her best behavior. She's always much better behaved for other people!

We have siding!

Chris spent the entire weekend last weekend siding the front of the house. It looks amazing. He just took the kids to get paint so they can start that part. Not sure how well a 2 and 4 year old can paint, but I figure we can always just paint over whatever they do if it looks terrible.

Alexis also had her preschool orientation yesterday. It went okay. She got really hungry after about an hour so we had to leave so she could eat. I told her she has got to eat breakfast before school, but I can't blame her for not wanting to. Neither Chris or I have ever been big breakfast eaters. I've been worried all this time about how Luke will react with Sissy gone, but he did fine. She was more sad to leave him!

Both kids are doing great. Luke is talking up a storm and so active. It's hard to believe he's only 2. He can easily keep up with Alexis and the bigger kids.

The first 2 pictures are of when we bought the house 5.5 years ago. The next are what it looked like with the front door moved to it's new location. The last ones are of the siding and the kids helping paint it. Once we are done with this project we will have pretty much changed everything in the house. We started by replacing all the windows, got new carpet in all but 2 bedrooms and completely redid the bathroom and kitchen. We are now adding a bathroom (where the house is now closed in where the front door used to be), adding a laundry room and converting the garage to a living/playroom. Oh, we're also adding a fireplace. I can't wait til it's all done. It will be like having a new house

Making progress

On the house, that is. Chris rented an excavator last weekend and dug the hole next to our old front door for the new foundation. Tomorrow the concrete guys are coming to pour it. This weekend I'm taking the kids to my parents again and Chris and his friend Rob are going to side the front of the house and frame in the new bathroom. I'm so excited!! We really need to get the outside of the house closed up before fall really comes. I have this picture in my head of what our house will look like for Christmas this year, with the new family room and in my head it's pretty great. I'm sure the finished product will be just as good as my imagination is seeing it! Chris is a perfectionist, and although it sometimes makes things take a little longer than I'd like, the end result is always so nice! Chris has had the camera in his car for weeks so I haven't taken any pictures, but hopefully I'll remember to get it from him soon.
Not much else going on around here. Just enjoying the end of summer.