Evicted!

Carpenter ants have had a cozy home in our red maple tree for several years. We realized that their community was thriving; but the tree still had a beautiful canopy, and we hated to take it down. We realized that we couldn't put it off any longer or the tree might fall on our house during a storm. Yesterday, hubby and my dad took it down.The infestation began at ground level and extended upward about 7 feet.

Attempting to pull it down. ;-)

Anyone else impressed with my hubby's man power?

Time for a well-earned coffee break!

So now that the ants have lost their condo community, we are just hoping that they don't decide to move in with us!

The Runaway Chicken?

KiKi: Mommy, Mommy, I see a chicken outside!

Mommy: What?!? Really?!?

KiKi: Yeah! Come see! Come see!

(Mommy joins KiKi at the window and peers outside searching for whatever bird is being mistaken for a chicken - maybe a wild turkey. I see nothing- not even a robin.)

Mommy: Do you still see the chicken?

KiKi: YES!!!

Mommy: Show me where it is.

(KiKi points.)

So what do you think of that funny-looking chicken?

Check this out!

CoCo and Merlin made the Birds of the Week page! http://www.birdsunltd.com

Car Races

Every year, the boys participate in a derby car race with their boy's club.
A usually tries to come up with a really creative car (one year - a pirate ship, the next - a crocodile). This year he made a wolf car. He was excited to win the "Best Looking Car" award.
CoCo's car was all about speed. He didn't care what it looked like, as long as it was fast. So he made a wedge-shaped car and painted it gold. His "Golden Nugget" won all of its races; I guess his strategy worked. Everyone had lots of fun - especially with the ice cream sundaes to top off the evening! (Thanks for the great pictures, H!)

He's Eight!

CoCo turned 8 just before lunch today! Here are a few reminders of how much he's grown.

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Happy Birthday! We love you!

Sleepover!

CoCo got to have a birthday sleepover last night with cousin O. The boys had fun chasing each other all over the house. Lucky for me, we have banned light sabers to the basement - I was definitely in danger of losing a limb every time they tried to run upstairs with them. After a movie and some frozen yogurt (fooled them - they all thought it was ice cream!), I tucked the boys in bed and told them that they could have 20 minutes to tell each other silly stories and make the necessary bodily noises that boys are so inclined to make! So when I came in to check on them, this is what I found - CoCo and O curled up in the same sleeping bag playing with O's DS. Very sweet, and I did have a moment of relief when I realized that disgusting boy noises may have been pushed out of style by the technical age. However, that relief quickly faded while I endured an armpit-fart demo before they finally settled in! (O claims that it has taken him 7 years to master the technique.) :-) Gotta love boys!

Organized - ME?!

So it should not come as a shock to anyone who reads this, but I truly struggle with organization. Though I was trained as a child to be organized, somehow I failed to develop the skills. To this day, I still need my mother to call and remind me to do things or make calls! (Bonus- like a good mom, she even tries to make me feel better about my inadequacies by assuring me that I just have a lot on my mind!) Seems that if I get interrupted mid-task, I completely forget about whatever task I was doing before. Thus, my life is full of half-finished projects (not to mention all of the half-finished conversations! Do I ever complete a sentence anymore?). Now, to top it all off, I can't even remember something unless it is written down. My calendar is like the hub that our household revolves around. If it's not on the calendar, it doesn't exist. So in another desperate attempt at organization, I have decided to start checking in on an organization blog. Now, please, promise not to laugh when you notice that the link disappears! :-)
By the way, make sure to check out my nephew's new blog - Abezilla. There is a link on the side.

Passing Time

Well, here I am - another year older, but too busy to really process it! I had a great birthday breakfast on Saturday, cooked by my fabulous hubby. We celebrated my dad's birthday as well.
I have been thinking about how much my life has changed over the past year, and the biggest change has obviously been SS. On my birthday last year, we were still completing our foster care program, and were eagerly anticipating a placement - not knowing that we would have a girl arrive on our doorstep in the middle of the night three weeks after my birthday. So this past year was a growing year for me - learning to parent a teenager, helping the family adjust to a new family member, and navigating cultural issues that I never knew existed. So, though I don't feel any older, I do feel that I have gained a wealth of knowledge and experience this year (oh, yeah, and lots of driving time!). SS said today, "I sometimes feel that I have been in America for 10 years, not just one." I guess that I feel sort of the same way. Only one year, but my heart says longer!

Spying Boo-Boos

Mommy: "How'd you get that boo-boo on your head?"
CoCo: "I have a boo-boo?"
Mommy: "Yep, right on your forehead."

CoCo: "Really, where?"

He's 29 - again, and again, and again!

My dad has been 29 for as long as I can remember (except for that slip-up on his 40th birthday when mom threw a surprise party!). I'm not sure how 29 is working for him now that his kids are older than he is, but...here's sending out a HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISH to you, dad! Love you!

He's 10!

Double digits - hard to believe!

2008

2007

2006

2005
We love you, big guy!

Time Change

This is a product of changing time! I have a house FULL of grumpy people - myself included. So allow me to rant about the complete ridiculousness of changing time in a society that is no longer a farming culture! Such a pain! So disruptive! Completely useless! I will allow - it sure is nice to have extra light in the evening, but is it truly worth the frustration?
Tonight, I am happy that the little boys are in bed - I need their rest!

No More Braces!

Before
During

After (I know it's a little out of focus, but who can resist her nose crinkle! :-) )

Reminders

The kids and I were feeling grumpy about the weather today. The wind chills were so cold that the boys couldn't play outside. As I grumbled about how it was March and it should be warming up, I remembered that it just isn't so. March always has at least one snow storm. Here is a picture from March 2005.
This one of KiKi is from March of 2008. So I guess that we all just need to be patient and remember that it's still winter. As my Dove chocolate wrapper said today, "Patience is a means to an end." Whatever!!!!

Just want to mention a praise item- Many of you know that one of my girlfriends, Wendy, found out that she had cancer 1 1/2 weeks ago. She had surgery to remove a very large tumor and some lymph nodes today. The doctors had not been optimistic about her chances prior to the surgery because of the size of her tumor. Well, the Dr. came out grinning. The surgery went wonderfully. They were able to remove the entire tumor. The tissues around it were clear, and the lymph nodes look good. Praise the Lord!

Revelations of the Thaw

It is that time of year again. Though it is still freezing cold, we have had enough warm weather to reveal all of the messes left behind from a winter of insufficient doggy cleanup! Last spring, I spent hours cleaning our yard. This year, we have smartened up and decided to use our resources more effectively. CoCo has been bribed into cleaning up for a monetary reward. Mommy has the tough job of making hot chocolate! :-)