My mundane ramblings

I think I start all my blog posts something like, "wow, its been a long time since I've written anything down..."
Then I feel a slight twinge of guilt because I haven't written down things the kids are saying lately.  Eli makes us laugh about a thousand times a day.  He's so stinking funny.  He is building on his "adoraber" thing by saying, "you're the best.  NO, you're the best.  I wuv you."  and "Try to get me!" and running away.  He wants to be "super" by bringing us one of his baby blankets and wants someone to tie it around his shoulders for a cape.  He runs back and forth, one time saying, "I'm super woman!" copying Vanessa.

Vanessa is improving her speech with her own efforts.  She's making a point to say the letter "R" in words like "green" and "bright" and "decorated" ... she's trying.  She still says "F" for the sound that "th" is supposed to make.  She tried saying a word over and over to me the other day and I DID NOT get it.  She was saying, "Uuuf!" over and over.  She finally explained it differently by saying, "the world where we live!" and it clicked that she was saying "Earth".  Well, the poor girl can't say R and TH so it came out like "Uuuf".  I helped her say "ERR", then pause, then stick tongue between teeth and enunciate the "th" sound.  It came out like "Err...*switch mouth and tongue*....TH"  She can do it!  Its a matter of it becoming natural.  She is working on it and I'm impressed and encouraged.  She has continued to sound like a 2 or 3 yr old pronouncing things like a toddler, but her making improvements with her speaking is encouraging to me.  She'll start kindergarten in 8 months!

Ever since my dad once mentioned trying to stop using the word "should" in our daily language and communication, I've been sensitive about saying it or using it.  It really does bring on guilt.  It ends up making anyone feel like they're not measuring up.  Instead, just do it. :)

So, I'm doing it.  I'm blogging.  With no real point to this post, other than to write "what's going on lately around here".  My life and tasks seem mundane, well, because, sometimes they are.  I'm not going to write down what seem like my biggest accomplishments because, well, let's just face it...nobody cares that I've washed, folded, and managed to get the kid's help to put away 6 loads of laundry.  Two or three days later, repeat.  Or managed to serve 18 meals in one day.  Sleep, repeat, serve 18 meals again.  Wipe down kitchen for the fourteenth time, sweep.  Load dishwasher.  Unload dishwasher.

What to write about.  Feeling rather random tonight.
Tonight's pork tenderloin was delicious.  Vanessa called it chicken.  Violet called it beef.  Whatever! haha!  Served along with rice and green beans (from the garden!) that were picked too big and took extra chewing to get down.

For not too much longer I can say the kid are 2, 4, 6, and 8.  I think that's pretty cool!  Calvin will break the system when he turns 7 in sixteen days.

I spent a lot of time just picking up this house.  There are always tons of papers to organize, kids crafts to admire, say WOW, and put up with magnets on the fridge for as long as they care and take down when they don't notice.

We are in the process of finishing the basement.  There will be a ping pong table (SHHHH! don't tell the kids! they don't know it is in our garage in a box that isn't labeled) to set up in the new play area, re-organized space, super cool colorful carpet, neat lights,, a small kitchenette/bar area, and a movie theater.  The storage space was moved to an interior boxed in room that includes the utilities area.  We've been working nonstop tearing down walls.  There's always cleaning to do down there.  Dave has framed in new walls, built an entire ceiling support for drywall and suspended ceiling, and is re-wiring cut openings for recessed lighting.  Every spare moment Dave has is dedicated to making progress downstairs.

We have a ton of family coming for Christmas!  I've sketched out my meal plan and written down almost the whole master shopping list.  I'm not done yet.  Barb Anderson came over Monday this week and we cranked out FOUR LASAGNAS for the freezer . She's so fun and helpful!  So glad to have that done.   I still have to do the major shopping trip to buy everything, but I'm sort of planned out.  Dave's sister Lisa and her family (husband Sten, daughters Kristina, Emma and Anja), his brother Josh (and wife Carrie, and kids Austin, Renee, and Wesley), his brother Sean (and his wife April and their kids, Emily, Alyssa, Corban, Logan, Bowen, Lynnea, and Adalynn), and his mother Martha.  Rachel will join us too!!  Rachel will kindly host 4 people and 2 will stay in the vacant CF home of Mother Rowena.

Right now I'm waiting for some clothes to finish drying.

OH yeah!  Another NEW THING.  Dave and I discovered we have a big chunk of cash still sitting in our "health savings account" for the year 2014.  This money will be gone are swallowed by the government if it isn't used in this year.  Dave suggested I get lasik eye surgery to correct my vision.

I looked into it.  Long story later (and I've seen the eye doctor at Mauer Eye Center for an approval)...I'm scheduled to have one of my eyes surgically corrected on Dec 29th, and the other eye on January 15th.  Why one eye at a time?  Well...it will cost SIGNIFICANTLY less.  This year's HSA amount will mostly cover one eye.  The other eye would be completely out of pocket.  Unless we did the other eye in 2015.  The next year's HSA will cover the other eye.  I'm so excited!  and nervous! The eye doctor I've chosen to go to is the best rated and has the best technology available in eye surgery.  He has his own laser machine with Wave Front technology right in his office.  All other eye doctors that perform lasik use a laser at the hospital.

I'm just going for it.  I really can't wait to wake up and be able to SEE.

that's my news for now.  I have to hit "post" and go help Dave in the basement.