Wait, did you hear that?

The doctor did. A murmur on the boy's heart. And again three weeks later. Echo cardiogram tomorrow morning. I am sorry it's been quiet over here but I am very busy trying not to panic. Will update. And add soccer and my new love affair with Ann Arbor MI. Back to regularly scheduled programming of not worrying. Too much...

Red Winged Black Bird

We spotted one of these on the highway just over the Michigan state line Sunday morning.
photo courtesy of google images.

How the Boy and I Spent the Last Hour

What better way to while the afternoon away than by watching jets taking off and landing on an aircraft carrier, all set to a little Crue. So pause the jukebox, and enjoy.

Sunday, Lovely Sunday...

Yesterday was just about THE perfect weather. Sunny and mid 70's. The kids played outside all day (of course but for naps) and I attacked some of the vinca that is growing out of the wasteland. PJ golfed, and came home in the afternoon for help on the finishing touches. We decided (or should I say I decided) that depending on the weather, I wanted to participate in the river cleanup going on down here at the Maumee. So I talked PJ into it (the only thing I think he was motivated to do beyond church was some nothing) and we hopped onto the bikes and headed down to the river. The meeting place was not at all far from our house. The only downer was that it was downhill all the way, which meant I was pulling James uphill all the way home. But it sprinkled on and off, and we got to the meeting point where the organizers had everything set out so great. We were handed some seeds for spreading, a trash pincher picker upper and we had some garbage bags so we headed out. We found some interesting stuff, but the best thing we found was on the way back- two downy woodpeckers! We also saw some deer tracks and a log that had been chewed to a point by a beaver. Pretty awesome. We took the opportunity to talk to the kids about the earth, and how we should take care of it. That this was important work but we don't need to just do it once a year- we can come anytime and explore and pick up trash. The experience also affirmed my commitment to do local(ish) nature walks at least once a month. There are so many opportunities around here at local preserves and parks, and after todays exploration the kids are fired up. And an interesting side effect of the experience today is that there was so much trash I notice laying around now. Riding home on our bikes we could have stopped a few times each block to pick something up. Even on Forest Park Blvd! So now we are committed to keeping firm on the clean planet pledge and pick up what we see so we don't go back to not seeing it. Does that make sense? And now I am off to find some tiger balm for my legs- coming home uphill reminded me why I can't do a spin class!

The Weather Allowed the Easter Bunny to Hide Eggs Outside This Year!

Granted, it was in the mid-high 30's, but felt much nicer. And the kids made quick work of finding all their eggs. And in demanding candy. What has the "Easter Bunny" started?

Easter Baskets

The "Easter Bunny" left baskets for each of the kids with a few candies and a few treats. Mr. Easter Bunny was disappointed that Mrs. Easter Bunny went a teeny tiny bit overboard but was swayed by Mrs. Easter Bunny's argument that there isn't another holiday until Halloween, unless he wanted me to start celebrating all the minor ones. I love when he sees my side of things!
Anyhoo, there were color wonder marker kits, magnifying glasses for finding bugs and things outside (Ava is currently using hers to look for clues the Easter Bunny might have left behind!), stickers, matchbox cars, and a tiara, among misc. candies. The "Easter Bunny" also put some m and m's in those little plastic eggs and hid them with the decorated ones outside for all to find. It's currently a lovely day, one where I hear in my head what we proclaimed at church this a.m.- "Alleluia. He is risen. He is risen, indeed." Thank God. (literally!)

Individual Style

Our girl is rapidly developing an individual sense of style. I captured this one on the camera the other day. Today she is wearing a brown turtleneck with a white tunic tshirt over it, hot pink shorts and white tights. I am loving that she is her own girl!

Basement Status

We (and by "we" I do not mean me in any way shape or form) have made a lot of progress on the basement family room. (I have made some progress in the utility/laundry room, but cannot take credit for the other.) PJ got the drywall repairs done that he wanted to finish, and told me to pick out a paint color. I agonized over the paint book for a while, and chose a light tan color. It's pretty dark down there, so I didn't want too much "color", but as you know me, I also could not have white. So PJ got the paint and got right to work. He got a no VOC at Menards that he said covered really well, and as a bonus, with no VOC there's no horrible odor. When we get the kitchen ready to paint we'll get the same stuff in the blue I found.
Ava has a great memory, and had such a great time painting her room in South Bend that she wanted to do it all over again with the basement. And our boy, about the same age Ava was when the room was painted, also was all about the painting. So PJ got the kids each a roller and put them to work. And good for all of us, we found out that the kids are hard workers and good painters! (How long till they can intern for Aunt Kathy?)
Now PJ has a couple of touch up items, and we are almost ready for carpet. I've done the taxes so that return will pay for the finishing of the basement. Next up, indoors=kitchen paint, outdoors=New Fence!!!

Happy Easter Everyone!

Kids are Healthy

So today, in order to escape from the pediatricians practice that I feel is kind of assembly line-ish, we saw a different doctor recommended by a couple of friends. Ironically, this doctor is tentatively merging with the assembly line practice, but I am hopeful that he will keep his small practice style. I tried to get information from him, but he had little to give.
What is important though is that the kids are healthy. This was just their annual well check visit, and so after a few routine probes they were pronounced healthy. James has a little fluid behind his eardrum, usually as a result of a cold or allergy, and it usually takes care of itself. If not, James will tell us, and we can get it taken care of right away.
The only other information I have to give is that they are right in the middle of the scale, both kids, on height and weight both, right around the 50th percentile. Ava weighs 46 pounds and is 45 inches tall, and James weighs 32 pounds and is 38 inches tall.
Of course we are grateful for these healthy chickens, and grateful for a great new doctor as well!