The end of this cold is just kicking my butt! Over the past day or so, I've developed a bit of a cough and feel absolutely drained. I think this is just the end of my cold and hopefully not the beginning of a new one or something worse. I think, too, that these past few weeks of Ella's late naps and late nights are catching up to me. Last night at 11 p.m. (after having put Ella to bed not long ago), I told Accalia I was heading to bed (she followed less than 30 minutes later). I did wake up feeling much more rested this morning but am now back to feeling drained.

Unfortunately there are dishes to be washed, laundry to be done, floors to be vacuumed, books and toys to be picked up. First order of business, though, will be taking Accalia to the art studio. She's excited about finishing her basket weaving.

There's the neatest picture book depicting surreal art in the pile of library books we brought home last week. We just got around to reading it this afternoon, and Accalia and Cole both loved the illustrations. It prompted Accalia to immediately go off and start on her own surreal art.

We had a great weekend camping at Lake Herman State Park. We'd never been camping there before and were really hoping we wouldn't be disappointed. We weren't for the most park. We've really been spoiled having Lewis & Clark Recreation Area because it's a beautiful area with large, shady sites, clean facilities and terrific beaches. We had a nice spot at Lake Herman with a lot of trees (yay shade!) and open space in the back so the kids could run around a lot. There was even a grove of trees so Cole could search for kindling.

Camping with small children is never a relaxing thing to do, but it's usually a lot of fun. We went hiking on a trail right next to our campsite that borders a pond, we played at the campground playground, and we went swimming in Lake Herman. That was probably the biggest disappointment because Lake Herman has a bit of an algae problem, so the water had a bit of algae floating on top and had that lovely smell. We didn't stay in the water long.

We spent some time in the nearby town of Madison, too. Madison is where Cory's dad grew up and where Cory spent much time visiting his Nelson grandparents. Cory's uncle (married to one of Myron's sisters) is currently mayor of the town of 6,500. One of the first things we did was go to the cemetary where Cory's grandparents are buried because Cory wanted to find their grave stones. Unfortunately the only directions Myron had been able to give us were to turn right at the main entrance. That's a lot of space to search! We looked for about an hour before giving up. I'm going to check with Cory's aunt and uncle and possibly the cemetary association to track those down. We also stopped at a small museum at the old train depot, but unfortunately it was closed (strange for a Saturday during the height of tourism season). Cory's Grandpa Nelson was an engineer for the railroad going through Madison, and his name is up on a plaque at the depot. The plaque is outside, so at least we were able to see that.

We had friends come for a couple hours Saturday night. We sat around the fire, toasted marshmallows and made s'mores, and the kids told each other ghost stories in the camper. Accalia and Cole were so happy to have other kids there for a while. It's almost not fair that usually our first camping trip of the season is with our families where nearly all of the cousins are together. We still somehow managed to find plenty of fun things to do.

There's nothing too unusual going on this week. We're heading to Mankato for the weekend much to the delight of the kids. Cory and I are even going to attempt to have a meal out by ourselves. I think the last time we did that was either before I was pregnant with Ella or when I was pregnant with her.

Blah. That's pretty much been our day. It's been another hot and humid day, but thankfully a cold front is supposed to pass through tomorrow and bring us lovely weather - just in time for our camping weekend! We're all still sick, too, and Accalia even woke up earlier than usual today because she felt too crappy to keep sleeping. Poor kid. She's just been lying around most of the day and hardly eating anything. I'm feeling pretty lousy myself, and Cory woke up this morning feeling worse than yesterday. Ella and Cole seem to be doing okay.

So that's pretty much been our day. We were supposed to meet up with some locals at a park today, but I had to cancel. Next week, though! I did take Ella and Cole to the store this evening to pick up groceries for this weekend while Accalia stayed home with Cory.

Ella continues to say more and more words - or at least what comes close to those words. Her current fave happens to be "poop", which she runs to tell me whenever she does the deed. Tonight I ordered pizza for supper, and when the delivery guy arrived, Ella yelled, "Izza!" She's also started referring to Cole as "Bole", although I suppose she could be saying "Bro." She hasn't yet attempted to say "Accalia." I can't remember offhand how Cole first said Accalia's name.

I was reading an article today about cancer and how promising the future is and how more and more people are no longer dying *of* cancer but *with* cancer since there are higher percentages of cancer survivors at the five year mark, etc. The author had breast cancer and practically gushed about the relative ease of her treatment and how she found that cancer wasn't something to fear. Now, I'm thrilled for her that she's survived and taken so much positive from her cancer experience, but I was so f*$%ing pissed by the time I'd read half of the article. Don't get me wrong, the higher rates of cancer survival are terrific and it's wonderful to hear of all of the new, successful treatments. I'm going to hang on to every thread of hope there is when I have another loved one diagnosed with cancer.

My reaction as I read this article made me realize that I'm still pretty darn bitter about Mary's fight and death, and that's something I need to release. Those are very unhealthy emotions to carry with me, and I know that's the last thing Mary would want me to carry with all this time.

Well, perhaps tomorrow I'll move on to lighter subjects...

Did I sound too confident last night when I wrote about Ella falling asleep early after a day of no napping? Yeah, I must have sounded way too confident. Arrogant even. Ella woke up around 8:30 p.m. - snuffly and sneezy and wide awake - and finally agreed to lie down and go back to sleep around 2 a.m. I would have thought with her being sick that she would have glady welcomed the softness of the bed and the darkness of the bedroom, but that wasn't the case. Today she fell asleep just a few minutes before Accalia went to the art studio, and she woke up as soon as we were out of the house.

So I'm a little tired today. Not too horrible, though, although maybe it is a sign of being a little bit sleep deprived when you don't even realize your toddler is covered in green marker until well after the act of decorating -- and you were right there in the room with her. I'm also coming down with this cold that has gone from Cory to Ella and now myself.

So that's my whining for the day. It's really been a fairly uneventful day. Everyone has been in good moods.

It's only 7 p.m. but Ella has already been asleep for almost an hour. She went without a nap today and was so exhausted by the time she nursed to sleep. I probably would have put her down earlier, but we had to take Accalia to dance and pick her up, so I didn't want her to fall asleep and have to wake up the poor tired thing less than an hour later.

Cory has a couple clients tonight, but he should be back in about an hour. Cole has been reveling in the heat and humidity and has watered the garden and flowers. Cole's probably done more watering this spring and summer than Cory (and definitely myself), and he just loves being outside looking at all of the plants and checking on the progress of the veggies in our garden.

Diana had asked about the Mitchell drive in and why we usually go to that one instead of the one in Luverne, MN, so I thought I'd answer that right on the blog in case those local would be interested. The biggest reason we go to the Mitchell drive in is because it's closer - more like 1 1/2 hours than two - and I suppose we head up there more often because we're just more familiar with it. We've been to the Luverne drive in before, and it's nice - newer, too. It's also bigger and more crowded. We hadn't expected it to be as packed as it was, and we ended up parking way towards the back. We don't have that problem in Mitchell, but we'll plan for that the next time. And yes, Diana, it would be a great place for a get together!

Since I haven't posted pictures in a while, here are a few of Ella doing two things she loves more than anything right now - being naked and playing with water.




Accalia continues to be interested in cooking and creating in the kitchen. We made an impromptu run to the library today to pick up two of Mollie Katzen's cookbooks, and Accalia has been having fun picking out recipes. This afternoon we made egg salad, which I declared quite yummy even though Accalia wouldn't taste it. She's very proud, though, that Cory will take some to work tomorrow and tell everyone that his daughter made it for him.

I've continued cleaning in the basement on and off and have two HUGE boxes ready to go to Goodwill. Maybe I'll get those taken tomorrow. I have to pick up some supplies for camping this weekend, too, so maybe I'll do that tomorrow. No guarantees that both will get done on the same day!

You know, there are times I really wish I had something more philosophical to write about or would comment more on world affairs, but the reality is is that my current life leaves very little time for focusing much on those things - or at least finding the time and brain power to write about it all. Most often I find myself thinking about above topics while lying in bed or driving around, and by the time I sit down at the computer I just don't care to repeat it all. I would not trade this life for anything in the world, though. The one thing that immediately changed for me when I became a parent was that I was completely satisfied with my life and what I was doing with it. So, even if not every moment is perfect or pleasant, it is where I'm meant to be.

Cory is happily reading the new Harry Potter right now. I'm almost ashamed to admit that I haven't even read one of the Harry Potter books even though we own all of them. Subconsciously I think I'm just waiting for Accalia to be interested in reading them, too, so we can do it together.

Cory also happens to be sick with a cold or something. He felt it coming on yesterday and has had a fever and body aches and chills and congestion. That changed our plans for today a bit. We were planning to go to the drive in up in Mitchell to see Ratatouille, but I suggested (and Accalia and Cole seconded and thirded) that we just stay here and see it at the theater. That cuts out the three hours of driving and means Cory is able to go to sleep early tonight. So we went after lunch and saw a matinee. Ella sat for about two minutes of the movie and then was off and running, so the two of us spent much of the next two hours wandering around the mall. Accalia and Cole seemed to like it, although it's definitely not one of their favorites. Cory thought it was okay.

Other than that, I spent some of the day cleaning in the basement. It's rather a disaster because we don't use the basement for anything other than storage or if Cory has a project to do at his workbench. Cory's dad said we could have a big piece of indoor/outdoor carpet that he was using for camping and forgot when he was in Yankton, so I've been clearing out part of the relatively small open space in the basement because Accalia and Cole want some sort of play area down there. Even if they don't end up doing anything with the space, at least we'll have a less cluttered basement.

Last night we went to Yankton's Relay for Life for a while, and Accalia decorated a luminary in memory of Mary. This year she drew a rabbit and hare racing (to go along with the race for the cure idea of some events). After that, Cory and I finished watching the last of the Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip episodes we had on dvd. We enjoyed the one season of this show, although I'm not surprised it was cancelled.

Let's see. What else has happened since Wednesday? On Thursday after storytime, the kids and I went up to Sioux Falls to meet Melissa and another homeschooler friend at a park. After getting together with the Sioux Falls gang, I always wish I lived closer or had a similar bunch of friends and acquaintances here in Yankton.

Tomorrow won't be a very busy day. I'll probably do a little grocery shopping and stuff around the house. I'll have to try to post some pictures soon, too.

Well, it's me and three wide awake kids right now. Accalia and Cole are usually awake at this time, but I keep hoping Ella will get out of this don't-nap-until-3 p.m.-and-then-stay-up-until-midnight phase. I'd much rather she just give up naps then nap late and stay up late. Last night (Ella didn't crash until after midnight) I was so tired and just needed something mindless to do, so I googled "free stuff for kids" and signed Accalia and Cole up to get all sorts of freebies so they'll get mail addressed to them - something that doesn't occur nearly as often as they'd like.

After supper and a walk, Accalia decided she wanted to help me have a nice, relaxing evening. She prepared a plate of radishes, radish greens and sliced cucumbers (first fruits of our garden) - lightly salted - and a glass of ice water. Then she had me sit on the couch, put pillows behind my head and a footrest down for my feet and gave me a card that said "I love u Amy." This has prompted her to decide to become a chef so she can make "unique food" at a restaurant she plans to name "Magnifique Chef." She's also been trying to feed me all evening long. Hmm, maybe she'll be willing to make supper tomorrow...

Tomorrow is a wide open day. Thankfully it should a little less oppressive than today (around 100 and high humidity).

Accalia and Cole were planning their Halloween costumes earlier today. They both decided they wanted to make robot costumes out of big cardboard boxes they found in the basement. So I cut out arm holes in each box, and the kids found plastic ice cream buckets to use for helmets. Cole has already decided that he doesn't want to be a robot for Halloween, and I'm sure Accalia will change her mind a few times over the next 3 1/2 months, but at least they're having fun!

I tried to put Ella down for a nap earlier, but she popped right up again so it looks as if it will be a napless day. That won't be bad at all if she actually goes down early tonight. Last night, after I put Ella in bed, I came downstairs to find Accalia had the Mickey Mouse Yahtzee game all set up. That's her favorite thing to do when it's just the two of us - find a game to play. Then she likes us to sit there and talk about her life when she's grown up with a house and kids of her own. You see, Accalia asked me to be her secret best friend last week, and that's the sort of thing she likes secret best friends to do.

Over the weekend, I finished reading Middlesex. I have to say that this was among the top books I've ever read. When I told Cory that I thought he'd really like it, too, I don't think he was too convinced since it's an Oprah Book Club selection. His interest was peaked a little more when I told him that the author also wrote The Virgin Suicides. I'll be the first to admit that my reading has really slowed down, especially since Ella was born, and I rarely have time to read more than a magazine article or more likely half of one throughout the day. Cory, meanwhile, has been reading voraciously lately and managed to read four or five books in the time it took me to read Middlesex.

Okay, the kids want to go for a walk so I'd better get off the computer.

Another weekend come and gone. It was a pretty nice one, too. Starting back on Friday afternoon after Heather and Aidan left and Ella napped...

The kids and I went to Wal-Mart to pick up Accalia's pictures and discovered that they already had their annual school supply sale going on. Isn't that crazy to even start thinking about that in the middle of July? Of course, here in South Dakota there are schools that will start in about one month, so I guess that's not too crazy to start preparing. Anyway, Accalia and I love this sale because we stock up on art supplies - boxes of crayons for 20 cents, glue bottles/glue sticks for 20 cents, notebooks for 10 cents, etc. Cory lovingly teases me, but why wouldn't you look forward to that when you have a 4-year-old who loves nothing more to sit at the table and squeeze out an entire bottle of glue onto a piece of paper? You go through a lot of glue that way!

Friday night wasn't terribly exciting. I got ready for my LLL meeting and we just hung out. My meeting on Saturday was good - three other mothers and five children. I had Ella with me as I always do, and Cory took Accalia and Cole to the beach. After lunch, we went out to add to our family by once again picking up new pet fish (this seems to be the only animal any of us are willing to take on the responsibility of caring for at this point). Accalia picked out a female beta that she named Cinnamon (or Cimmanon as Accalia tends to say), and Cole picked out a male beta that he named Little Blue Sunset. We bought a double tank so there's a divider between the two, which is smart since we're not too up on breeding betas.

After supper, we took the kids to the wading pool in town. Even though Accalia's really a little too big for it and would probably have more fun in deeper water, it seemed to make everyone happy. Saturday night Cory and I watched Deja Vu, which we really enjoyed, although I gave up trying to wrap my mind around the idea of being in the present and being able to go to the past and change what happens at the same time that you're watching the past. See, it's even confusing to me to type that. So I just didn't think about it too hard and enjoyed the movie.

Today I did a little grocery shopping with Cole and Ella right away in the morning before Accalia and Cory were awake. We ran around a little bit in the afternoon, and after supper I took the kids to the wading pool again. This little girl (older than Ella but smaller physically) came right up to me, grabbed my hand and wouldn't leave my side for about 15 minutes. She wanted me to play with her and aske me to hold her. At one point I asked her if she was here with her mommy or daddy were around since no adult had yet to even make a move toward her or show an interest in what she was doing. Finally, a woman in a bikini headed her way and resumed parenting her child. I briefly pondered why you'd show up at a wading pool in a bikini and then looked down at my own rather wet tank top and jean shorts and figured a bathing suit of some sort might have been a smart move.

Cole fell asleep early tonight, and right now it's just we three girls up. I'm hoping to get Ella to sleep soon, though. I'm starting to lose steam myself.

My friend Heather and her son, Aidan, came yesterday to stay with us for a night. Cole was thrilled to have another boy in the house, although his happy mood only lasted as long as he was well rested. Here's a picture of Cole and Aidan cuddling on the couch after soaking each other with the sprinkler in the backyard:



Yesterday was a busy day of playing with the kids, and we were all up late talking - Heather and myself up the latest after everyone else was asleep. Cole, unfortunately, was also the first child up this morning and definitely needed more sleep. He ended up spending much of the morning and early afternoon crying on and off and being especially sensitive about every little thing. So, while the second day of their visit wasn't the most peaceful, we all still had fun.

Cory's finished watering, so I'm going to get Ella in the bath and write more another time.

I haven't been blogging my usual amount lately. Apparently I'm just not in a sharing mood!

The heat and humidity have left for the time being, so I've had the house opened up all day. That's been very nice.

Today has been a pretty low key sort of day. Accalia was really looking forward to going to the art studio because there was a bird house there that she had her eye on for decorating. She started on that today and also sewed a purse. This summer session is all about doing crafts, which is exactly what she wants to do. It's put her in the mood for crafts all day. Just a little bit ago she sewed up a felt snowman for an upcoming Christmas decoration.

Yesterday Accalia had dance and found out she'll be performing Saturday night of Riverboat Days at the amphitheater. So, if you're in Yankton August 18th, come down to Riverside Park between 6 and 8 p.m. (closer to 8 p.m.) to watch Accalia dance her Pink Serenade.

Accalia has also decided she wants to expand her dance knowledge this coming fall semester and, along with her regular pre-ballet/ballet class, she's going to take a beginning tap dance class.

Can't say there's much more to report on right now. Gotta get busy cleaning tomorrow to have a clean house for Heather and Aidan Thursday and Friday!

Yesterday evening, as I was making blueberry waffles, our waffle maker broke. Sigh. We received it as a wedding present, so it's lasted nearly 10 years. That got Cory and I thinking about how many appliances we have that are nearly 10 years old now - washer and dryer, dishwasher... Our stove is about five years old, our water heater about the same. Then I reminded Cory of how many things in my parents' house are so much older and have kept going all of these years.

This has been a hot weekend. We reached 101 degree yesterday. We went to the beach in the morning to avoid the worst heat and the big crowds. That was really nice. Ella loves floating in the water and had a blast riding in a little raft that a boy shared with her.

Friday morning was not so fun. The kids were so cranky and fighting with each other, and there was this feeling of just needing to get out and do something different. So I said, "Road trip!" and we packed up a few things, grabbed lunch at Burger King on the way out of town, and were gone for about three hours (long enough road trip for three young children).

We headed to Springfield, which is where the prison is located that Cory works at, although Cory was working in Yankton that day. We drove past the prison, and Cole was excited to see the "bad guys" in white shirts and khaki pants. We drove through the Springfield Recreation Area, which was rather a disappointment and won't be a camping destination. Then we stopped for a bit at a park so the kids could play. A lot of the playground equipment was too hot for them to climb on, though. Here are a few pictures of the kids making due with what was cool enough to touch:





After that, we went on for a few more miles until we reached the Chief Standing Bear Bridge that spans the Missouri River near Niobrara, Nebraska. I told the kids as we were crossing into Nebraska (which we do often since we live a couple miles from the border), and Cole asks, "Are there kangaroos in Nebraska?" Here are a few pictures of the bridge and the river from where we stood at a scenic outlook. Cole loved the "islands" in the middle of the river:





We crossed the river and entered the Santee Sioux Indian Reservation, which is a pretty isolated area but very pretty in it's own way. We drove on for another half hour or so and returned home, and the kids were in much better moods for the rest of the day.

I haven't accomplished a whole lot today other than putting away laundry, and there's more of that on the way! I managed to make an iced coffee this afternoon that tastes almost exactly like the kind I get at Starbucks. Yay! Ella's been drinking more of it than me, I think.

Mercedes has been moving this weekend. She wasn't here yesterday or today, though, when her mom was at the house. That probably means she won't be back to say goodbye to the kids. So far Accalia doesn't seem to be bothered too much by that, though.

I should finish this up and get back to the laundry!

The other day I was reading an article in the current issue of Psychology Today about some of the presidential candidates and what their various mannerisms and way of speaking say about them. Interesting stuff. Hillary Clinton is seen as the most optimistic and Rudy Guiliani as the most negative. I never get terribly excited about the race until each party has their candidate. It's hard to, especially as a liberal in a red state, because I know South Dakota will also vote for the Republican. Do any of the Republican candidates excite me? Not especially. Guiliani probably comes closest, and I think that's because he was mayor of NYC during 9/11 and actually has the experience of bringing such a large city through such a major event. Of course, since I'm not a New Yorker - now or then - I don't know if residents actually liked how he handled everything.

As far as Democratic candidates, it's Obama all the way. I've loved that man since I first heard him speak. He just makes me hunger for a President who is actually eloquent and inspiring. Unfortunately he's also the least experienced, so that may not bode well for him. I'd love nothing more than to put a woman in the White House, but I don't especially like Hillary. Eh. She just doesn't do much for me. Choosing that Celine Dion song for her campaign song really didn't help.

Now, I write all of this without having looked at what the candidates say about the issues, so that's my disclaimer.

It's another late night for the kids. Ella is just now nursing to sleep. Ella is going through one of those incredibly frustrating times of toddlerhood with lengthy nursing sessions, less desire to fall asleep and all around clinginess (much easier on the back when it's an 18 lb baby and not a 32 plus pound toddler). Just have to look beyond all of this and know she's probably working on some major stuff - physically and developmentally - while all of this is going on.

Tonight Accalia announced that she wanted to make her own website. She's been coming up with ideas all night for design, features, etc. Now I just have to search for a website that makes it an easy deal for the kids (and the clueless adult helping). I know I've run across stuff before, so I may have to go back over my bookmarks to check.

I think there are a lot of people around town who have taken the rest of the week off. There's definitely a weekend feel around town. No such luck for poor Cory! Thursdays are the day he sits in with the psychiatrist at the prison to meet with inmates about their meds. He called this morning because they were already behind schedule and he won't be able to get back in time for our chiropractor appointment. I'll just have to reschedule it. It just doesn't work for me to get adjusted without another adult along to be with the kids. Well, it's really just Ella that wouldn't do well with that.

So this morning we headed off to the library for storytime even though I wasn't sure it was even on this week. It was, and Accalia and Cole were the only kids there. Two others came a little later on, but otherwise the regulars weren't around. I think it's a big vacation week because this is the week where there are no summer rec programs going on, so many are probably taking advantage of that, too. After the library, we ran to Wal-Mart since Accalia wanted to pick out a postcard to send to Mercedes after she moves.

Ella's napping, Accalia's doing a craft kit that Heather gave her for her birthday, and Cole is experimenting with toilet paper and water. Accalia and Cole were both doing that earlier. The kids really wanted to get Charmin toilet paper to see if it's as soft as the commercials say, and since we needed tp anyway, it worked out well. Accalia took two pieces of paper, drew hands on each, put toilet paper over the top, and sprayed each sheet four times. And what do you know? The Charmin seems to be more absorbant than the other toilet paper we have.

I forgot to write earlier about what Accalia did on Tuesday. That afternoon she decided she was going to clean, so she washed the dirty dishes and cleaned both toilets! That was great! Yesterday, when we were just sitting around, I turned on H>V and Accalia and I sat there for a bit watching shows. That's the first time she's ever had an interest in watching one of those shows with me. Cole even got into it.

I need to get up and do a few things now while I have the chance.

It was a very quiet Fourth of July for us. We basically hung out at home, other than Cory running a couple errands, the kids and I walking around the neighborhood and, of course, walking to the park to watch the fireworks. Accalia and Cole played with Mercedes for a while, too, until she had to leave. Mercedes, by the way, is moving about 30 minutes away to Vermillion, but Accalia is okay with that because it's not that far and she'll get Mercedes' new address and send her postcards.

I felt mildly guilty because we weren't out at the beach or picnicking or hanging out at a park. We did grill, though. Cory and Ella were both dealing with some sort of digestive issues today, though, and Cory even napped for part of the evening before we left to see the fireworks.

The hardest part of today was having Accalia and Cole constantly asking how much longer until the fireworks. That's always the hardest part of the Fourth because the most exciting thing for them doesn't happen until 10 p.m. Next year we'll have to plan more fun things to do during the day. Hey, now that this holiday is over, the stores will start setting up school supplies! Isn't that crazy? There are schools in South Dakota, though, that are starting in six weeks. Actually, Yankton schools will start in seven more weeks.

Tomorrow we'll go to storytime in the morning and the chiropractor in the afternoon. That's about it!

Here's a picture of the kids that I must have taken last week. It's been a while since I posted pictures, so I thought I'd better do that. You'll notice Cole's shirt is a bit wet. Usually he's completely soaked head to toe when he comes back inside. One of his favorite summer activities is taking the hose and doing everything from making mud puddles underneath the swings to watching water flow down the sidewalk to spraying our van. He even sometimes waters the garden and flowers, which helps out Cory and myself a lot!

Yesterday did I really say that Ella would be down for the night when she fell asleep at 6:30? Hahahahaha! Whew! That was a good one. Ella slept for about two hours, woke up crying and couldn't be comforted until we were out of the bed and back downstairs. Not sure if she was having a nightmare or what. I was finally able to drag the two of us to bed a little after midnight, and Ella woke up around 8 a.m. extremely unhappy. She's in a much better mood today, though!

Here are a couple more pictures to start off the day:

Ella's trying out the goggles from Accalia's science kit


Cole's just very happy

I just put Ella down to sleep - not even 6:30 p.m. - and she'll probably be down for the night. It was another no nap sort of day.

My friend Shannon just posted something in her blog about dealing with a crappy landlady, and that got me thinking more about some thoughts I'd been having about what we're dealing with as homeowners and how it would be much less of a hassle to just be renting. However, I remember how excited I was to become a homeowner and be done with the whole apartment/landlord deal. I was so sick of being mere feet from our neighbors, having to worry about being too loud (we were on the top floor), not having our own washer and dryer, not having a yard, not having our autonomy, etc.

Then there are times like this past weekend where I wish we'd be able to call the landlord and have them take care of it (both labor and cost wise). Two of our trees in the backyard are huge cedar trees, and on one there's what must have been a branch at one time but is now a sawed off stump. Cory discovered that there were HUGE ants inside, and we're pretty sure they're carpenter ants. So, that means that not only might we have to have that tree cut down (it might be dying), but we also have to figure out if we have a carpenter ant infestation in the house. Thankfully they aren't as damaging as termites, but there's still the possibility of having to add on the cost of a pest control service if it gets to that point. Blech!

There are also moments as an adult (and especially as a parent) where you're suddenly wishing that you weren't the adult or parent and could just hand off the problem (or child) to someone else. You know, when you're dead tired or have a headache or are can't-get-out-of-bed sick and your child(ren) suddenly appear covered head to toe in mud. Of course that involves bathing said child(ren) and extra cleanup in the bathroom and with laundry. Obviously you just adjust to those things once you're in the situation, but that doesn't mean you give up on wishful thinking! And no, I didn't have three children covered head to toe in mud today.

What I did have was a boy wishing all day long that he could have clones (99 to be exact), a toddler who took great joy in hitting her big sister with a huge rubber snake, and an 8-year-old whose favorite thing to do lately is to say anything and accompany it with a knowing wink and an elbowing while saying, "Huh, huh, huh?"

Ella has been fighting sleep this weekend, staying up for longer and longer periods. I'm thinking that incoming teeth are partly to blame. Last night she drifted off to sleep around 10 p.m. but woke up right away and didn't go to sleep until midnight. She's napping right now and has been in a fairly good mood today. The two of us took a grocery shopping trip together - her holding my hand and/or walking beside me the entire time - while Cole and Accalia stayed at home and played with Mercedes.

Speaking of Mercedes...the basement apartment in their duplex is up for rent and the new tenants came over a few days ago (a single mom and her four year old daughter). When they came over to look at it, Mercedes' two dogs were chained up outside, and they couldn't go inside because one of the dogs lunges at anyone and barks ferociously whenever he's on the chain. I guess they called the stepdad to come home and take the dogs inside, and as the landlord and the new tenants were walking around the perimeter, the agressive dog was able to chomp on the landlord's leg. The landlord told Mercedes' mom and stepdad that they would have to get rid of the dog, and when Mercedes was over today she told us that they were going to move. Now, this has obviously upset Accalia a great deal, so she's having a really rough day. Poor kid. I remember being about her age and having my best friend at the time move. It felt like the end of the world.

There hasn't been a lot going on this weekend, which is what I was hoping for earlier in the week. Cory spent most of yesterday afternoon weeding our garden. While Ella napped yesterday, Cole and I went to Goodwill and found a few items of winter clothing for him. Cory and I watched a couple episodes of Rescue Me so we can try to stay caught up with the current season.

Accalia doesn't have dance tomorrow - whole week is a holiday because of the 4th - so we don't have anything on the calendar. We might be meeting up with some new to the area homeschoolers this week (hi Laura if you read this), but that's about it other than art and storytime. We'll watch fireworks on Wednesday, too, but that's just a matter of walking a few blocks down to the river.