flapjacks

One of our favorite songs, "Flapjacks" by Recess Monkey, came on during breakfast and Caleb said, "How do you do flapjacks again?"  I said, "They're pancakes!"  And then Caleb got down and tried to do jumping jacks.  :)

correction

Levi keeps pretty good tabs on things around here.  The other day Logan was praying before we started breakfast and said something like, "...Thank you that we could get Roxy..." (btw, Logan is often very thoughtful in his prayers, and it's such a joy to hear).  After he was done Levi made sure to correct Logan and remind him that he and Caleb were at Gopher's when we picked her up.  :)

Another cute thing from Levi and all his talking, apparently his brothers are a package deal to him.  Most of the time now he refers to them as "Caleb Logan", leaving out the "and".

Saturday Mike was gone all day on his annual pilgrimage to The Big House.  Every year he takes in a U of M game with the men of his family.  Of course it rained (it always does for them), but at least it was warmer this year than last.  :)  But, all the good food and good times make up for a little rain!

The boys and I had a nice day around home getting some things done, and in the evening went to a get together for our group at church.  Couldn't help reflect that maybe a year ago, for sure two years ago, I would not have attempted going to something like that without Mike.  My babies are growing up and getting slightly more manageable!

roxy

Our newest Golden is finally here! Last night we were able to pick up Roxy to bring her home. What a sweetheart! Doing my best to soak up this cute puppy-ness while I can, since I know she'll change fast. She has been doing really well so far. We have her cage in the house just for the first while.  She cried (loudly) for the first 5-10 minutes at bedtime, but then did great!  Mike let her out for a potty break before he went to work around 3am (Poor guy, had a church meeting that went to almost midnight the other night, and he's not getting a chance to catch up.), she cried for a few minutes again when he put her away, but then she was fine until I got up to let her out.  I was mentally prepared for it to be worse, so I'm really pleased that she slept well!  The only bummer is that I did still have to get up in the night - Levi woke up screaming, I'm guessing he had a bad dream. :(

I'm not a "animals are practically people" type of person, but it just about broke my heart to hear Roxy's mom crying and howling last night when we picked her up.

It will be interesting to see how things play out with Pixie and Roxy.  Right now Pixie is just a tinier bit bigger than Roxy, and of course, she's been here longer, so she's acting like boss.  Wonder if she'll be able to keep that up once Roxy is bigger.  Things have been improving with Pixie and the kids, but if she doesn't do well with Roxy we'll just have to find a new home for her.  Sorry Pix, Roxy gets priority!

I've finished up with the garden, and my latest project here at home (getting stuff ready for a garage sale, selling things on craiglist, etc.) is almost taken care of. So, I can focus on training kids and dogs!  Should be fun.  :)

overflow

How could your heart just not totally burst when you see this guy?? Last night after supper Mike was gone to a meeting, Caleb and Logan were having some tv time, and Levi came to me while I was doing dishes asking to have this cape on.  He kept running down the hallway, through the dining room.  He said, "I'm Superman. I can get Caleb and Logan. I can save you." Gahhh! And then he came out to the garden with me, and was keeping very busy digging and moving dirt around - all while wearing the cape. Love.

sick

Everyone else has started school so that means my family is getting sick.  Seriously, what is up with that?!  The kids were exposed to other kids that go to school (who weren't sick themselves) two times that I can think of and we're getting sick already.  I remember this happening last year at the beginning of the school year, too.  Ugh.  So, Levi came down with a cold first.  I'd say he, Mike, and I have had it the worst; Caleb and Logan haven't been too bad.  Levi was bad for a day, then seemed almost totally better the next, but the day after that it seemed to be bothering him again.  Friday night and Saturday night he didn't sleep well; I don't know if it was the cold, bad dreams, his attachment to me, or what.

Friday night Mike and I went to a wedding.  (Had a great time, by the way.  Our table was only Mike and I, Mike's brother Harold (Kara had to stay home with the kids), and their cousin Joe.  Our table was way in the corner and we were able to just enjoy hanging out.)  So anyways, when Mike and I got home close to 11pm, Levi was just crying and crying and the babysitter was trying to calm him down.  She said he was fine all evening, went to bed great, and it was just the last half hour or so that he had been crying.  It took quite a while for him to calm down, and I finally got him back to bed.  I had to get up once more during the night for him.  Saturday night Mike put him to bed because I was mowing the lawn.  He slept fine for a couple hours, then woke up crying and upset.  I was up with him for hours then.  If I stayed with him he wasn't crying, but he was very restless and would just not settle down.  I tried sitting in the chair in his room with him, laying on the floor in his room, sitting in the recliner downstairs, and bringing him to our bed (which I have NEVER done, but just didn't know what else to do!).  None of those went very well, but when I tried putting him back in his crib he just cried and cried.  What to do with a two-year-old who has slept through the night since he was about a month old and now won't??  Finally, after a few hours of restlessness, he did fall asleep in my lap in the chair, and I was able to put him to bed.  Last night I made sure that I was the one to put him to bed (just in case this is an attachment thing), and he has slept all night.  After he got up I asked him if he slept good and he stated, "I didn't have a bad dream."  Phew!

Yesterday morning Mike stayed home from church with the sickies, and I went to work in the nursery.  In the evening Mike had to usher and we decided Logan was well enough to go with him.  Mike loved having the one-on-one time with him!  It's so nice when we get a chance to do that, it can just be so hard to make it happen.  This guy is full of deep questions and wants to figure things out.  Mike told me that last night Logan asked him, "If a police car is going too fast will another police car stop him?"  Last week we had a good discussion with him about marriage.

We're getting very excited for our new puppy!  And, things have been going a little better with Pixie.  :)  Two more bedtimes until we bring Roxy home.  Last night Levi was upset that Logan got to go in the truck with Mike to church, so I reminded him that on Wednesday night he gets to go by himself with us to get Roxy while Caleb and Logan are at Gopher's.  He had no problem reminding Caleb of that later.  :)  The memory on this kid amazes me!  Awhile back I had a birthday card for my nephew sitting on our desk for way too long.  (He lives next door, you'd think I could get a birthday card to him!)  Once, Levi grabbed it and ripped the envelope.  Just a day or two ago I was talking to Mike about the garden and said something about ripping out whatever's left in there.  Levi heard me use the word "rip" and then said, "I ripped Jason's card."  That was a few weeks ago!  And, every once in a while he still brings up the accident we witnessed on our way home from West Virginia.  The other boys don't talk about it, but he does.  "That guy...upside down in his car...raining..."  Comments like that.

Love watching these kids observe, think, learn, and grow!

catch-up

Right after the fair was our annual canoe trip, and we had gorgeous weather for it!  The boys loved staying at Uncle Eric and Aunt Lea Anne's and playing with Boden and Heidi.  I guess Levi asked for me a lot, but he was fine.  :)

The next weekend was our last Saturday at Harold and Kara's cottage for the summer.  :(  We are so thankful that they allow us to share in their summer fun!

For Labor Day we got some small projects done around the house, relaxed, and went to my parent's for supper.  Labor Day is a much appreciated holiday here as it marks the halfway point of celery harvest.

Last Wednesday we went and picked out our new Golden Retriever!  We have been on a waiting list since April (who knew it was so hard to get a dog...), and it was finally our turn.  We had six females to choose from - they were all so stinkin' cute.  Mike felt partial to one, so we went with that one.  She'll be old enough to come home with us in one week!  We're all getting pretty excited over here.  Things with Pixie have been so-so.  At the moment I'm slightly more on the side of making things work rather than finding her a new home, but who knows, that could change.  :)

Saturday we went canoeing with Harold & Kara and family, Dave & Vonda, and some of the Koning's.  It was a beautiful day!  I wish I had some photos, but didn't risk taking my phone on the river.  :)  Most of the time Levi was in Mike and I's canoe, Caleb and Logan were in Harold's canoe.  Caleb and Logan did each take a turn riding in Vonda's kayak.  We saw tons of turtles out sunbathing.

Lately I've been busy getting clothes, baby stuff, etc. ready to sell.  We have TOO MUCH STUFF.  I'm so sick of it!

Poor Levi has come down with a cold.  I guess even though my kids aren't in school, the fact that other kids started school last week means that my kids are going to start getting sick.  :(  It was such a nice, healthy summer here!

Tonight Caleb and Logan start back up with our church's Wednesday night Word of Life program - we decided to request they be in different classes this year, it will be interesting to see how that goes!  Thought this would be a nice way to give it a try since they're familiar with Word of Life, and it's just a once a week thing for a short period of time.  And, they'll still see each other during song/story time.  We were telling them about it last night, and so far they seem fine, although Caleb has said a few times that he's going to miss Logan.  It's not surprising that he might be the one that has a harder time with it, given his homesickness when we were in WV, and just his general sensitivity (even though he acts like tough guy).

I SO WISH I could have a camera running all the time!  Just to hear the things Levi says at this age are my favorite.  I can't remember what types of things Caleb and Logan said at this age like I wish I could.  Last week the boys and I watched some "old" movie clips of them that I have on the computer - there was one of Logan holding Levi as a newborn that was especially funny.  Why didn't I record them more?!?!  After watching that I did sit the boys down and do a little interview time - I'll have to get that uploaded and on the blog.  :)