October 18, 2012

Home

Our vacation was wonderful. I have lots to tell, and plenty of pictures to share. I'm gonna do that, real soon. Meanwhile I figured I should post something ... anything at all ...

It's good to be home. It's always nice to visit loved ones ... and it's always nice to come home to my own space and sleep in my own bed. Eric came home first and he really missed us, so he was very happy for us to return. Mama Dog bonded with FIL while she stayed at 52 -- she followed him around everywhere. They have a big living room in the front of their house which can be closed off from the dining room and kitchen in the back by a door in the downstairs hallway. When that door was closed Mama Dog figured out how to go up the back stairs, through the upstairs hallway, and down the front stairs to the living room where she would get up onto the couch. Naughty yet clever pooch. She spent a day or two with another couple from church and apparently totally bossed around their Husky, taking over his bed and everything -- who knew she was such an alpha dog? After Eric came home she did too, and Junior Chief would come over and let her in and out of the house as necessary. I think she had a good time while we were away, but she was pretty happy to see us.

We didn't do any school during our vacation, except for a few workbook pages. We started again on Monday and the Boogie didn't seem to have forgotten anything. I thought we were beginning a new subject this week, then realized that I had scheduled it to begin in September! Oops. So we're about 3 weeks behind in that subject but since I scheduled it for only a couple of days per week it won't take us too long to catch up.

My less-than-2-years-old washing machine is refusing to fill with hot or warm water, so I've taken a few loads of laundry over to 52. It feels like old times! Ha! Eric took the washer apart last night to do some trouble-shooting -- he didn't figure out what the problem is, though he did rule out a couple of things. He thinks it might be the sensor probe so he's going to order a replacement and see if that fixes it. Meanwhile he figured out a way to "trick" it into adding hot/warm water which entails switching the temperature dial back and forth while it's filling -- thankfully it's a low-water machine so that doesn't take too terribly long. Hopefully a new sensor will solve the problem.

Both girls went to the dentist yesterday. It was Peabody's first time. The hygienist called the Boogie back first, and Peabody just followed her big sister right back. The hygienist said she'd send her out to me if she started getting into stuff -- I figured they'd call me back when it was Peabody's turn, but they never did! She did great all by herself and was SO excited to pick out a new toothbrush. The Boogie has more cavities. *sigh* All (now and previously) have been on the biting surfaces of her molars, so obviously brushing is not enough. They don't like to put sealants on baby teeth and the insurance won't cover it anyway. I didn't talk to the dentist this time, just the hygienist, but when I take the Boogie back for her fillings I will ask what else we can do to help prevent more cavities.

It feels like fall here. The nights are cold, and there has been frost several mornings. The heater has been running, too. I'm sure we need to order fuel oil since we haven't purchased any since last fall, and that wasn't even a full tank. The days have been sunny and nice, and leaves are really beginning to turn. Our pine tree (or whatever it is) is shedding brown needles like crazy, and pine cones are starting to fall. For the first time in a few years I am really enjoying the season and anticipating the upcoming holidays -- I actually want to do some decorating, something I haven't wanted to do in a long time! I don't think I have any fall decorations to put out -- maybe I'll have the kids cut out some leaves to stick on the windows or something.


Time to switch laundry, clean the kitchen, make my bed, get dressed (now that the morning is almost over), and teach some kindergarten!

October 6, 2012

Biker Girlies

For weeks before our trip the Boogie talked about going for a ride on Pops' motorcycle. "He has a kid helmet," she informed us on multiple occasions. She talked about it so much that I finally thought to ask him if he'd actually told her he was going to take her for a ride. I wrote to him and he responded that he didn't remember saying anything, and that besides she was too little. Uh-oh, I thought, she is going to be one disappointed little girl if she doesn't get to go. Pops offered to start up the bike and let her sit on it and go from there -- if she seemed okay with that he would take her for a very slow ride up and down the street. She doesn't like loud noises at all and I really anticipated that she would chicken out. But she didn't!






They went down the street and came back. "What did you think?" Pops asked the Boogie. "Did you like it? Do you want to stop, or would you like to go one more time?"
"Weeeellll," the Boogie considered, "I think ... I want to go one more time." I was so impressed that she went at all. What can I say? The kid is kinda wimpy.


As they rode away the first time Peabody burst into tears. "I go too!" she wailed. So after the Boogie's ride Peabody sat on the back of the bike, and then Pops rode in a circle while Mom walked alongside. She loved it! She shouted goodbye to everyone.



Adorable little biker babies.