Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday?)
Guess it's been a long week already? oh well... maybe I'll find more to post tomorrow too??
It's the time again
Time for me to begin working on a new design for my blog. I haven't gone and started thinking about it yet, but figured I'd go to you for suggestions first. Any thoughts?? This will be at least for the month of July if not July and August.
random weekend thoughs
1. Having relatives over is always interesting
2. The boys and I met Richard for lunch the other day, it went a lot better than we thought... which is always a good thing
3. Baking brownies with butterscotch chips is a great idea, except when they don't bake enough
4. Salvaging the brownies by utilizing them in a trifle... now that was smart if I dare to say so myself
5. Seeing the forecast for the next week as having 40%-60% chance of showers every day... guess we can turn the sprinklers off again
6. We get to pick up Colby's bureau tomorrow... now where in the world I'm going to put it in his room is a good question!
7. Taking the boys over to a friends house for a cookout and having them do a great job behavior wise makes it easier to decide to do it more often
8. Getting out for a walk as a family is always enjoyable
9. Playing games on facebook is addictive!
10. Must start thinking now about next week's random weekend thoughts the 4th of July edition... can you believe we are almost into July??
Read it again
I posted some pics of my boys reading yesterday. This is a common sight in my house. My sons both love to look at books and have them read to them. We read 4 books before nap and another 4 before bedtime. But, that is just the set number we read, who knows how many we read during a given day.
Colby has really taken to reading in the last few weeks. I can't tell you how often I feel a book whack me in the leg because Colby has brought it over to be read. I almost always stop what I'm doing and sit down and read it to him. Again, and again and again and again.
I always find this stage interesting. How many times can we read the same story over and over? I think the max so far has been five times in a row. I usually get excited when there is another book close by because I'll try to swap them out after the 2nd or 3rd time reading the original book.
I love reading to my sons. I love pulling them into my lap and having that time to read just to them. I love reading to the two of them and watching them learn from each other. I love watching the develop a love of reading!
Colby has really taken to reading in the last few weeks. I can't tell you how often I feel a book whack me in the leg because Colby has brought it over to be read. I almost always stop what I'm doing and sit down and read it to him. Again, and again and again and again.
I always find this stage interesting. How many times can we read the same story over and over? I think the max so far has been five times in a row. I usually get excited when there is another book close by because I'll try to swap them out after the 2nd or 3rd time reading the original book.
I love reading to my sons. I love pulling them into my lap and having that time to read just to them. I love reading to the two of them and watching them learn from each other. I love watching the develop a love of reading!
toys, toys, toys
Last night Richard was working late, yes again, so I decided it was a prime opportunity to do some cleaning of the boys toys. We have toys in the living room, the play room, upstairs, in Blake's room and in Colby's room. For the most part everything is pretty organized, and the things in the living room are pretty much put away and almost out of sight... well almost.
The motivation this time was puzzles that Blake has been playing with, and well Colby's been dumping out. My parents brought over some puzzles that they had from my childhood. Blake has loved putting together the wooden puzzles. But, the puzzles were housed in a plastic tote and Colby would pull out puzzle after puzzle and dump them all over the floor. This meant that I then have to sort through and re-make all the puzzles.
So what's a mommy to do?? Put the puzzles into a drawer of the entertainment center (yes their toys have taken over the entertainment center too). In order to do that I had to take out some baby toys, which much to Richard's chigrin are now in the garage awaiting the yard sale we will have someday.
I then decided to move things around a bit. I try to swap things around from time to time. It's amazing how something that has been ignored in one space becomes a fantastic find when it's in a new location. It will be a lot better in a few months when Colby will be a bit bigger and can play with all of the toys. It get challenging trying to keep the little things out of his reach as his reach keeps getting higher.
Are we the only crazy parents who have toys everywhere? Do you swap things around in your house to keep things interesting? What do you do with the things your kiddos outgrow?
The motivation this time was puzzles that Blake has been playing with, and well Colby's been dumping out. My parents brought over some puzzles that they had from my childhood. Blake has loved putting together the wooden puzzles. But, the puzzles were housed in a plastic tote and Colby would pull out puzzle after puzzle and dump them all over the floor. This meant that I then have to sort through and re-make all the puzzles.
So what's a mommy to do?? Put the puzzles into a drawer of the entertainment center (yes their toys have taken over the entertainment center too). In order to do that I had to take out some baby toys, which much to Richard's chigrin are now in the garage awaiting the yard sale we will have someday.
I then decided to move things around a bit. I try to swap things around from time to time. It's amazing how something that has been ignored in one space becomes a fantastic find when it's in a new location. It will be a lot better in a few months when Colby will be a bit bigger and can play with all of the toys. It get challenging trying to keep the little things out of his reach as his reach keeps getting higher.
Are we the only crazy parents who have toys everywhere? Do you swap things around in your house to keep things interesting? What do you do with the things your kiddos outgrow?
Heat
you know it is going to be a hot day when it is not even 7am and it's already in the 80s! At 6:30am I was watching the news and they said it was 80 outside and the heat index brought the real feel up to 91... at 6:30am that is not the forecasted temperature that was the actual temperature at the time. I normal low for this time of the year is 71ish not 81ish!
We have heat warnings again today (3rd day in a row) the temps are going to be in the mid to high 90s and will feel like 105-110
Gesh if it is this hot in June what is August going to bring??
We have heat warnings again today (3rd day in a row) the temps are going to be in the mid to high 90s and will feel like 105-110
Gesh if it is this hot in June what is August going to bring??
Happy Father's Day
Well... here we are at yet another holiday. This year seems to be flying by fast. Today is the day we celebrate those special men in our lives. The men who are our fathers, grandfathers, and especially the fathers of our children. It means cookouts, sports and chillin' out on the couch.
Richard and I do not exchange gifts on mother's and father's days, just makes life easier. But we try to spend the day doing things that are special to that person. So this morning I got up with the boys and let Richard sleep in. Then I made sticky buns for breakfast (ok they are the kind that came out of a can, but aren't they yummy still?) Originally he was going to go for a bike ride on his own, but then decided that was not what he wanted to do. So instead we packed the boys in the bike trailer, attached to Richard's bike,
and I put on my roller blades
and we went around the block. Then we took the boys to the park. 
We don't get there very often in the summer because it is just way toooooooooo hot! 
When we got home we put the boys in their swim diapers and went into the pool.
Hope you are enjoying a day doing all things important to DAD!
Richard and I do not exchange gifts on mother's and father's days, just makes life easier. But we try to spend the day doing things that are special to that person. So this morning I got up with the boys and let Richard sleep in. Then I made sticky buns for breakfast (ok they are the kind that came out of a can, but aren't they yummy still?) Originally he was going to go for a bike ride on his own, but then decided that was not what he wanted to do. So instead we packed the boys in the bike trailer, attached to Richard's bike,
and I put on my roller blades
and we went around the block. Then we took the boys to the park. 
We don't get there very often in the summer because it is just way toooooooooo hot! 
When we got home we put the boys in their swim diapers and went into the pool.Hope you are enjoying a day doing all things important to DAD!
random weekend thoughs
1. Having both boys not feeling well is so not fun (they both have head colds... nothing major, but still not fun)
2. I'm so tired of dealing with SNOT... it is not easier to deal with your own child's snot than another child's snot... it is still nasty
3. Not sleeping all the way through the night makes for long days
4. I love my DRV I can watch my night time shows during nap time
5. When there is heat warnings in FL you know it is hot! This whole week our heat index (heat + humidity = real feel) has been in the 100s... today it could feel 110... and this is only June
6. Watching Blake play games on the computer that I used in my kindergarten classes is really cool... other than I still can't stand hearing "I'm little, I need shoes... shoes please"
7. I've decided to drink 80+oz of water every day... It's a lot easier to drink four 20oz bottles than ten 8oz glasses... why is that? (oh and for my crunchy friends it is a refilled bottle that I fill with water from the fridge... I'm not buying water from the store)
8. This should be the last week of crazy work hours for Richard for a while... man I'd love to get back to some form of normalcy... whatever that is!
9. Yo plait chocolate whipped yogurt is yummy!!
10. Happy Father's Day to all those special men in my readers lives!
Menu planning
Week of June 19th - 25th
Friday: out
Saturday: steak
Sunday: ribs
day 1: cracker crusted chicken
day 2: chicken tender salad
day 3: leftover meatloaf
day 4 leftover American Chop Suey
Not a typical post for me but...
I really am concerned about the state of the economy right now. I got to thinking about this yesterday because on our local government website they have added a map to all of the foreclosed houses. What really got me thinking is the fact that they only could put on it the houses that went into foreclosure this year, as if they put all the homes that are IN foreclosure they wouldn't all fit on the map. Is that not the saddest thing you've heard in a while?
Now, what got me thinking is what is going to happen to all these homes? Are they all going to sit and do nothing for a long time? Are they going to get sold at rock bottom prices to more people who can't afford to own a home? Are they going to get sold at rock bottom prices to people who think they can buy them and rent them out? Are they going to get sold at all??
As a homeowner none of these is good for me. If they don't get sold, then they bring down my property value as they deter buyers from the area. If they get sold at rock bottom prices, they bring down my property value as it is established by the recent purchase prices in the area. If they are sold to people who can not afford to own a home, are they going to just use it for a short time and then let it go into foreclosure again? If they are sold to someone who is going to rent it out, will the renter maintain the property at the standard that our homeowners association expects? If they aren't sold, is the bank going to maintain the property?
Now luckily for us, we aren't going to more anytime soon. We are pretty solid in our house and the finances to stay here (not saying it's easy, just saying its doable). We locked in at a good mortgage rate and with a fixed rate so we don't have to worry about the ups and downs of the rates.
I realize that many people whose houses went into foreclosure tried hard to keep their property but didn't understand that the various mortgage rates and such could alter the amount they had to pay each year. I realize that many people have lost their jobs and could not afford to pay the mortgage anymore. I get it...
But, I hate the fact that the people who are making it by are still being effected. I hate the fact that yet again the middle class feels the pinch. I hate the fact that the people who are doing it right aren't going to get any help in this crazy economy.
I just wish there were better answers!
(Thanks for listening to me ramble)
Now, what got me thinking is what is going to happen to all these homes? Are they all going to sit and do nothing for a long time? Are they going to get sold at rock bottom prices to more people who can't afford to own a home? Are they going to get sold at rock bottom prices to people who think they can buy them and rent them out? Are they going to get sold at all??
As a homeowner none of these is good for me. If they don't get sold, then they bring down my property value as they deter buyers from the area. If they get sold at rock bottom prices, they bring down my property value as it is established by the recent purchase prices in the area. If they are sold to people who can not afford to own a home, are they going to just use it for a short time and then let it go into foreclosure again? If they are sold to someone who is going to rent it out, will the renter maintain the property at the standard that our homeowners association expects? If they aren't sold, is the bank going to maintain the property?
Now luckily for us, we aren't going to more anytime soon. We are pretty solid in our house and the finances to stay here (not saying it's easy, just saying its doable). We locked in at a good mortgage rate and with a fixed rate so we don't have to worry about the ups and downs of the rates.
I realize that many people whose houses went into foreclosure tried hard to keep their property but didn't understand that the various mortgage rates and such could alter the amount they had to pay each year. I realize that many people have lost their jobs and could not afford to pay the mortgage anymore. I get it...
But, I hate the fact that the people who are making it by are still being effected. I hate the fact that yet again the middle class feels the pinch. I hate the fact that the people who are doing it right aren't going to get any help in this crazy economy.
I just wish there were better answers!
(Thanks for listening to me ramble)
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