I'm starting today without the benefit of coffee, which could be disasterous considering the number of late nights and early mornings I've had recently. We have enough coffee left to make one more pot, but Cole asked me to show him how to make coffee so I have to wait until he's up. I'm the only one awake right now, actually, and I would run to the gas station and pick up a Sunday paper, but I don't think Cory would hear Ella if she woke up. Oh well. Time enough for all of that.

It's rather chilly -54 degrees - and will probably only get to around 60 degrees today. That, along with the fact that we'll have football on tv this afternoon, definitely gives it a feeling of autumn around here. Cory was planning to do some yard/gardening work today, so I'm sure I'll help out with that. We were going to put away some of the really summery stuff that's outside since the kids seem to be done playing with that stuff. Of course, it will only be in the shed, so it may easily find it's way outside again before the first snow.

Yesterday was a pretty busy morning. Cory was supposed to see a client, but that client didn't show up. So he made it back home in time for Ella and myself to leave for the La Leche League meeting. There were three other mothers there, including one with a two week old, so we had a lot of fun with all of the kids. Then Ella and I rushed off to Accalia's first soccer game, which was already going on. It turned out that Accalia's team was playing against Chloe's team, so Cole had Alexia to run around with and Cory and I were able to chat with Karine and Laurent while watching the girls. Accalia had a lot of fun but said she couldn't run as fast as some of that girls, which is probably due, in part, to some of those girls being a head taller than her.

We grabbed Burger King on the way home, and Ella fell asleep soon after that since it was 1 p.m. before we even got home for lunch. The other two kids and I then ran to Goodwill because Accalia really needs some pants. There was absolutely nothing in her size, but we ended up finding boots for both Accalia and Cole. Yay! Paying a total of $6 for two pair of boots is so much cooler than paying $30 or more.

The rest of the afternoon was filled with playing with the neighbor girls. The youngest girl has been very prone to tears these last couple days, which makes it hard for everyone to enjoy playing when she starts crying about everything from getting wet to getting mud on her. Maybe she's just having a bad weekend. Usually she's not so easily dismayed.

Last night Accalia wanted all of us to watch a movie together, so Cory dug out Home Alone since they had never seen it. Accalia and Cole - even Ella at times - really enjoyed it. It brought back a lot of memories of watching it myself as a child.

I think I'm going to have some nice hot oatmeal for breakfast and then start to tackle the laundry.

It's been nearly a month since our dryer worked, so that's been a month of hanging clothes outside to dry (or inside on the few rainy days). I'd love to get the dryer fixed ASAP, especially since this warm weather isn't going to last much longer. Unfortunately, we're quite strapped for cash right now and can't exactly spring for the $100 or more the repair.

In the meantime, I guess I can feel good about doing my small part in living a little bit more green. The Daily Green has great ideas about how to reduce your impact on the environment when it comes to laundry. I was thrilled to see that we already do some of those things like using cold water for washing rather than warm (I do use hot to wash diapers, though). Apparently, 90 percent of the energy used washing clothes goes to heating the water.

Obviously, bypassing the dryer saves all of that energy that might have been used. Hanging clothes out in the sun also has the added benefit of the sun breaking down stains, so it's a great way to brighten and whiten clothes - especially noticeable with cloth diapers and staining. I'm also saving money on being fabric softener sheets. I only buy fragrance/dye free laundry products, which started when Cole was a baby and seemed to react to scented products. I also can't stand the smell. It's even helped as far as staying on top of laundry and not letting dirty and clean laundry pile up. The first thing I do in the morning is throw in a load of laundry so I can be sure to have it hung up and dry by midday. Then, of course, I want to use the laundry basket for hauling clothes in and out, so I have to put the clothes away fairly quickly. Very helpful for a rather disorganized housekeeper like myself.

And there you have it - my ode to drying clothes the old fashioned way.

Life has been pretty low key around here since we returned from Mankato, but it's still been pretty busy. All three kids have been having a blast playing in and around the house. This has been an abnormally warm week - high 80s and low 90s - so we've been getting some end of the summer use out of the pool and slip 'n slide.

Accalia and Cole have been having a blast playing with the three neighbor girls, too. I have to admit to really, really liking the fact that the oldest is just six, which means there isn't that constant desire on the neighbor's part to run all over the neighborhood. Apparently, though, these girls don't get many sweets because the first thing they always ask when they come over is whether they can have a piece of gum or a sucker or whatever is filling the candy bowl that day. Accalia and Cole are only too happy to oblige. They love bringing out glasses of water or treats or whatever interests them that day.

My plan for this week had been to get Cole's picture taken, but that will have to wait until the end of next week when the bump and bruise on his forehead have hopefully disappeared. Last night he and Accalia were having a food fight with play food, and Accalia accidentally hit Cole with a plastic cup. "I should have ducked!" was Cole's response when I went to investigate the crying.

When I was younger, I think I had a lot of Type A tendencies, but those have slowly disappeared over the years. There's a big part of me that wishes I just naturally was drawn to making lists, being much more organized and so forth. It's so appealing to me, especially when I read/hear about other extremely organized people. I'm working with a LLL Leader Applicant right now who is SO organized, and it just seems to make everything that much easier (or at least easier to find/remember). I'm not sure that I can force myself to be more Type A, though. The bigger part of me completely rebels against that, so maybe it's hopeless.

I have requests to read to a certain boy, so I'd better get to that right now. All three kids are in various stages of undress. Ella is wearing Accalia's shorts right now, and they fit her surprisingly well.

We returned yesterday afternoon from a very lovely Labor Day weekend visit in Mankato. Cole had a really nice fifth birthday yesterday despite spending a few hours traveling in the van. It's always a mixture of emotions returning home to Yankton after being in Mankato because we're always so happy to come back to our house and to Yankton, yet we instantly miss being surrounded by family and friends as we are in Mankato.

Cole opened birthday presents Monday morning before we left, and we had birthday cake Sunday so he could share that with Grandpa and Grandma. Sunday night was church with a picnic following, and the kids had a good time playing games with all of the other kids from church. There was one slight bump - literally - for Accalia when she fell and hit her face on the ground during a three legged race. Thankfully her nose didn't bleed for long.

On Saturday we went to visit Heather and Jeremy and meet their daughter, Evie, who is beautiful beyond words. She's so tiny, too! Accalia and Cole were so eager to hold her, and Ella stood by me oohing and ahhing while I held Evie. Cole and Aidan had so much fun playing together, and I know Cole wanted to stay longer. Unfortunately Ella was growing very restless and was getting grumpy.

Accalia had soccer practice last night and is at practice right now. Cory had his appointment reschedule, so he offered to take Accalia and let me keep Ella and Cole out of the 90-plus degree heat.

The rest of this week is pretty wide open until Saturday. Accalia has her first soccer game, and I have my La Leche League meeting. I'm hoping to get to the end of her game, but that completely depends on how long the meeting lasts.

Okay, I'd better get supper started so Accalia will be able to dig right into her food when she gets home.

Accalia's first soccer practice went off without a hitch, and Accalia really enjoyed herself. I tried to keep Cole and Ella entertained by kicking and throwing around the balls we brought. I think Ella had the most fun lying on top of me on the field and giving me kisses - definitely one of the highlights of having a 22-month-old.

Ella didn't nap at all today, so she fell asleep within minutes of us getting home. She's been asleep since around 7 p.m. other than half waking up to nurse. She'll probably be extremely hungry in the morning since she missed out on supper.

We had a full and happy house this afternoon. All three girls from next door came over. The four-year-old came over a little before 3 p.m., and the other two (6 and 5) were over once they came home from school. Even with three extra children in the house, it was so much more peaceful than it was when Mercedes would come over. I think part of that is because Cole now has a playmate and isn't trying to work his way into the action. I think another huge part is that the three girls are used to living with multiple children and don't have to work to get past the differences that go along with playing with friends as an only child and playing with friends as multiple siblings. There are definitely benefits and challenges to both.

We've seen more of the girls this past week than we have in the month or so since they moved in. I'm just amazed how it is that you can live next to three other children and rarely see them, especially when much of that time has been in the summer with no school in session. I thought it was rather funny today that the three girls devoured most of the candy in the dish on our table. The dish was still pretty full of parade candy from nearly two weeks ago. Previously, one of the girls had told me that they weren't allowed to have candy, so hopefully their mom won't be too annoyed by their snacking over here.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall at their house to hear what the girls tell their parents about us. I think we talked about nearly all of the things that set us apart from mainstream parenting over the course of the afternoon. The oldest commented several times about what a big house we have and how messy it is, most likely referring to the Lego and Lincoln Log strewn living room. I replied that we didn't think it made a lot of sense to pick up toys until we were finished playing with them and that all of our different messes just show how much fun we've been having throughout the day. Cory laughed when I told him that and said they'd probably start trying to use that one at home when asked to pick up their toys. We also talked about cloth diapers since the oldest wanted to help me hang up diapers on the line. Then we talked about homeschooling because the oldest asked me what grade Accalia was in this year. Then the oldest asked me if the kids were able to do anything that they liked, and I told her that we try our hardest to find ways so that everyone is able to do the things that they want to do. Not sure what prompted that question, though.

So tomorrow will see another soccer practice and hopefully packing for our weekend in Mankato.

Accalia's soccer practice was cancelled today. Not to worry, though! She has practice tomorrow and Thursday. She's so eager to get out there and meet the other girls on her team. It looks as if there are five other girls.

Otherwise it's been a pretty quiet evening. All three kids are still awake, and they're all so calm and happily playing. I was hoping Ella would go to sleep early so I could take a shower tonight, but I guess taking a nap at 4 p.m. kind of nixes any early bedtimes.

Anne asked how Accalia is doing since Mercedes moved away and if Mercedes has come back to visit. Mercedes has not returned, and I didn't really expect her to be back. Her mom and step dad didn't really strike me as the type to make an effort for things involving a child. Accalia hasn't really mentioned Mercedes except for one day when one of the neighborhood girls came over (those visits don't happen nearly as often now that Mercedes isn't next door). Actually, lately Accalia has been doing a lot of solo activities. She'll go up to her room and play up there, or if I go outsides with Cole and Ella then Accalia will often just stay inside or go back inside before we do. She goes through phases of wanting to do activity books or workbooks, and that's something she's been doing with the majority of her time these last couple days. Thankfully we have a huge supply of that sort of thing. I think it was probably receiving this freebie in the mail that peaked her interest in workbooks/activity books again.

Speaking of freebies, here are a couple things that Cole has really enjoyed:

- free Planet Heroes dvd
- free K'nex sample set.

Yesterday would have been Mary's 61st birthday. The hardest part of these past (nearly) three years has been knowing how little - if any - the kids remember of her and how much Mary has missed seeing. Accalia wasn't even 5 1/2 yet and Cole had recently turned two when Mary died. So many changes since then...

Myron seems to be moving right ahead with life, and if he's happy then I'm happy for him. I just wish this new life didn't seem to be at the exclusion of the rest of us. Sure, Cory will still get his Sunday call from Myron, but he rarely sends emails or replies to the emails Cory sends. Myron hasn't stayed with us since Ella was a baby, and it feels like pulling teeth to get him to even come and visit. We think he's going to come in October to watch Accalia play succer and Mariah play at a nearby volleyball tournament. Honestly, it seems as if his life revolves around Bev and her kids now. We're adults, of course, and don't need the involvement of a parent as we did when we were younger, but it really hurts to see Cory feel as if he doesn't always have a father.

Speaking of soccer (to help change the subject), I'm not sure if Accalia will have her first practice in just under an hour. It's been raining all afternoon, but it seems to be letting up now. I have no idea what sort of weather cancels practices or games, so I guess if we don't hear from a coach we'll drive to the practice field just to see if anything's going on.

The four-year-old girl from next door was over for much of this afternoon to play. Cole was so happy, and it was really cute to watch those two running around. Accalia played with them for a while, too, but I know she would have loved to have someone her age there.

Ella fell asleep around 4 p.m. since there was so much activity earlier today. Ella is my first child to have this interest in putting things up her nose. During lunch she shoved a noodle up one nostril - way up there. She was very uncomfortable, and I started to try to get it out with a tweezers since Ella would hand me the tweezers and hold still for me - for about two seconds. So then I just held her other nostril shut, and she snorted the noodle right out.

I'm really, really hoping we can get some extra money and fix the dryer. It apparently wasn't the starter switch since that attempted repair did nothing. I hung out clothes this morning but had to run out and grab everything off the line when it started raining. Then my drying rack broke, so I lost my main means of drying clothes and diapers inside. Sigh. Right now there are clothes and diapers drying everywhere.

I guess I'd better go and get Accalia's soccer things together. Ella won't be happy about getting up from her nap early, but Cory won't be around until after practice ends.

Cory had originally planned to just take a couple hours off this morning while I went to my eye appointment, but he ended up taking the entire day. He spent a good chunk of the day catching up on notes from his private counseling, so it wasn't entirely a vacation day for him. My appointment went fine - eyes look great, prescription hasn't changed, etc. The best part of going there is being able to listen to XM Radio. I know, it's the little things for me.

Today was hot (90s) and humid, and the kids spent a good portion of the afternoon playing with water outside. I suspect there won't be too many more days like this. Tomorrow, in fact, is supposed to be in the 70s and rainy. Accalia's keeping her fingers crossed that it won't rain for her first soccer practice.

With his fifth birthday looming, Cole is gearing up for the big day. He's getting more and more excited, asking how many more days, if we can do this or that, etc. I have to find a time to wrap his presents. It'll probably work best in the morning when he's sleeping in. Now if I can find where Cory put them...

So that's about it. I'm going to get ready for bed now.

We had a good weekend. Starting off with Friday, I could tell by mid morning that the kids really wanted to do something out of the routine. I suggested a walk on one of the hiking trails near the lake. Accalia and Cole jumped at the suggestion and immediately went about packing their backpacks with snacks, water and a couple small toys to keep them company. Accalia carried this bird guide with her, and Cole carried this plant identification brochure with him. We discovered that, as a combined force, we pretty much suck at identifying plants. We had plenty of fun with the other things we could identify, though. I think the biggest thrill for the kids was discovering that the path we were walking on was covered with snails. I told them we'll have to see what sort of environment snails need to live and then remember to bring containers along next time in order to bring some home.

Yesterday was, of course the Weird Al concert at the Corn Palace in Mitchell. Cory was so excited, and it turned out to be a lot of fun for all of us. I was a little unsure of how Ella would do for the two hours, but she pretty much sat in my lap the entire time when she wasn't trying to dance or play peek a boo with the man sitting behind us. Cory and I couldn't figure out why there were senior citizens filling the row right in front of us. We thought maybe they were confused about which concert they were at, but they all seemed to be expecting the show and even enjoyed themselves. Guess the appeal of Weird Al covers many ages.

Before the concert, we stopped to visit Mark and Shannon for a bit. The kids rarely see those cousins - usually at Christmas and if we go up to Mitchell - so they had fun, especially jumping on the trampoline in the backyard. We were back in Yankton at about 11 p.m., so it didn't end up being a very late night.

Today has been a fairly quiet day - just catching up on laundry and dishes. Cory did a little grocery shopping, and the kids and I went to the sporting goods store to take advantage of a great sale of soccer cleats for Accalia. She's so excited about soccer starting, and she'll have her first practices this week.

Tomorrow Cory is taking a couple hours off in the morning so I can go to the eye doctor. My appointment is at 7:40 a.m. Ugh. I'm hoping all of the kids will just sleep while I'm gone, but I don't know about Ella since she fell asleep around 7 p.m. due to no napping today.

Other than that, it looks like a pretty typical week. We're heading to Mankato for Labor Day weekend and will do a little celebrating of Cole's 5th birthday (Sept. 3) while we're there. We'll also get to see Heather and her new little girl!

Wow. It's hard to believe that 10 years ago today I was a month shy of 21, halfway through college, and preparing for our wedding. Here we are 10 years later with three children and a decade filled with so many memories that this blog entry could never do them justice.

I came downstairs this morning to discover a vase bursting with a dozen red roses and a card and letter reminiscent of the letters Cory and I wrote to each other when we were dating/engaged and separated due to school and work. I really need to bring down that shoebox filled with letters and read through them again. Cory's brother and wife gave us a wedding time capsule that we filled with things that I don't even remember now other than letters written to us by parents, siblings, friends. We're supposed to open it today, though, so I'm looking forward to that.

Cory sees two clients tonight, so we probably won't get a chance to sit down and talk much until after 8 p.m. He'll be home for a quick meal around 6 p.m. between clients but, as anyone with children can attest, the dinner table really isn't the best place to have uninterrupted conversations.

It's another rainy day here. We have to run out soon to do a couple errands, and that's about it.

For some reason, I started receiving a free subscription to Hallmark Magazine. It's actually a really enjoyable magazine to read, and I've been looking forward to each new issue. Today I started reading the September/October issue and came across this really neat quote about saying yes from the editor-in-chief, Lisa Benenson:

"It's kind of amazing what can happen when we just say yes, and yet it's so seldom the thing we do. Yes is tough, after all - at least it has been for me. It generally means I have to step outside the carefully established routines that get me through my day; it means I have to share time I don't think I have. But when I stop to remind myself of the things I've said yes to, I realize that responding that way has always made my life better. Saying yes has brought me new adventures, new friends and closer relationships with my husband and kids. Every time."

What a great quote! So true, too. I've been guilty of saying no to the kids just because, and that's really a sad thing when you think about it. Just because I'm the adult and can prevent them from doing something - whether it's using up the last of the flour to make a creation or take 15 minutes from my sometimes productive computer time to hang out in the yard - that must be such a disempowering feeling to be told no when it's something perfectly within everyone's reach.

When I talk about saying yes, I don't mean to requests like, "Mommy, can I have the scissors so I can cut Ella's hair as short as Cole's?" I mean those requests that often feel like just another "to do" that gets added to the list throughout the day and can seem overwhelming on those days when you're feeling overwhelmed. Saying yes almost always makes the moment, the day so much more and so much better.

It's another stormy, rainy, dreary day, and I'm loving it! And yes, Mel, Yankton has been getting some particularly interesting weather lately. Neener neener! Granted, it's not a good day at all to hang out clothes and diapers, so we'll have a bunch of stuff hanging around the house.

We had a fierce thunderstorm this evening - lighting, thunder, hail, torrential rain - and the worst of it came down as we were coming home from eating out at Yankton's charming Fryin' Pan. We were only a few blocks from home, but I pulled over under the canopy at a gas station so we could protect the van from the hail. That's what we poor folk who have no garage do to protect our vehicles, ya know. We heard on the radio that lightning struck a house at about the same time as we were seeking shelter. So, other than that and some urban flooding (laughable term for a town like Yankton, I know), we came out unscathed and with our flowers and garden freely watered.

We went out to eat tonight as an early anniversary celebration since Cory has clients in the evening on Thursday. The hostess brought Ella a booster seat (Ella apparently looks too big/old for high chairs at this point), and at first Ella refused to sit in it, opting instead to proudly sit on the regular seat and sip ice water from a glass glass. It was so cute to see how excited she was to do the exact same thing as the rest of us. All three kids helped me eat my salad, concentrating mostly on the croutons and dressing, and Ella and I shared a meal of chicken strips, coleslaw and french fries. When we eat out, I usually pick a meal like that because Ella doesn't always eat enough to warrant getting her a separate meal.

Otherwise, our day consisted of doing a little grocery shopping in the morning and lots of laundry throughout the day. Stopped briefly at the library, too, to pick up a book for me as well as one Cory requested. I also did a bit of LLL work, which lately has held no thrill for me at all.

There's not a lot going on the rest of the week. The streets and parks will be much quieter around here beginning tomorrow with the return of school. On Saturday, we're going up to Mitchell to see Weird Al Yankovic perform at the Corn Palace. Jealous much? Yeah, that's what I thought. Seriously, though, Weird Al is an artist that Cory has loved since childhood, and Accalia and Cole loved watching his television show when we got it on DVD a while ago. I think it'll be a fun time as long as Ella is willing to hang out for the concert. We'll probably stop to see Cory's brother and family beforehand.

I woke up this morning to the sound of thunder and rain beating down on the roof. It was such a cozy feeling to be covered up in bed with the little ones until I remembered that I had left clothes on the line last night. Ugh. Thankfully Cory had brought in the three pairs of jeans before they were soaked, and the towels left on were no big deal.

Big congratulations to Heather and Jeremy on the birth of their daughter, Evie Grace, this morning! I don't know if I have the spelling correct, and I can't wait to see the little darling in under two weeks!

As the kids were finishing up lunch, the doorbell rang and one of the neighborhood girls was there. We haven't seen much of her since Mercedes next door moved, so the kids were really excited. They played together all afternoon, going back and forth between our house and hers. Cole came walking in the house once they were finished playing and could barely drag himself to the chair.

That's really about it for today. I think that we'll do a small grocery shopping trip tomorrow. I'm not feeling quite 100% but don't have the body aches that I did yesterday.

Riverboat Days 2007 is now over, and we had a very fun and busy weekend. Since the Yankton School District begins classes on Wednesday, most in the Yankton community consider this to be the last big summer event. That's rather sad since there's still more than a month before fall actually begins.

We started out the festivities in the late afternoon on Friday with Accalia and Cole participating in the kiddie parade where the Captain and Belle of Riverboat Days lead the kids a few blocks to the amphitheater at Riverside Park where the opening ceremonies take place. Accalia and Cole dressed as pirates since that was this year's theme, and here they are at home trying to look like mean pirates:


Here are a few pictures of Accalia and Cole walking the parade route:




Then we went home for supper. Ella and I were very excited to be home and eat turkey burgers:


After that we headed over to the mall parking lot so Accalia and Cole could ride a few rides at the little carnival that had also been here at the start of summer. After that we headed home for a little bit before the fireworks display. All three quickly went to sleep once we got home.

Saturday morning was the start of the big parade. It was a cool and rainy start for sure, but thankfully it didn't rain for the entire two hours. Here are a couple pictures as we waited for the parade to begin:



Accalia was getting a few shout outs from people in the parade, and she had this look of excitement and confusion each time someone called her name. Ella had her picture taken by a photographer from the newspaper, so we'll just have to see if it turns up in the paper. We came home with bags of candy.

We decided we were going to hang out at home in the afternoon rather than heading to the park like we've usually done after the parade. Accalia was dancing in the early evening, so we wanted her to have a chance to just relax and not be totally exhausted for the two hour performance. Accalia packed up a bag of coloring books and crayons to share with the seven other girls in her group, and she had a great time hanging out with them. Here's a picture of Accalia on stage from behind. Cory wanted to get a more panoramic shot of the audience, but there were too many dancers backstage for him to do that.


This morning we headed over to the park so the kids could do a few things like jump in the bouncie house and ride the train. Ella even wanted to do those things, which is quite a change from the start of summer when she was more interested in just watching. We had lunch there and wandered around for a bit. Accalia even had a wax mold of her hand made:


Accalia and Cole also posed for a picture at a mural that the owner and some of the students at the art studio she attends painted a few years ago:


On our way home, we stopped to look around the Excelsior Flour Mill in downtown Yankton, which had opened to the public this weekend after being closed for more than 50 years. There were a lot of things there about the steamboat history of Yankton, and it was really neat seeing the chalkstone walls.

We've spent the rest of the day just hanging out at home, with Ella taking a huge nap this afternoon and me catching up on laundry and dishes that I ignored yesterday. I'm feeling pretty rotten right now, and I think it's just a touch of mastitis. So I'm just taking it easy now and will hopefully wake up tomorrow feeling much, much better.

I had written in an earlier post that the kids and I would be heading to Mankato today to spend a few days with my parents and be there right away to welcome Heather's baby tomorrow. Plans changed, but we'll be going to Mankato over Labor Day weekend. This will be a really quiet week, I think, since all summer activities are over. Cory and I will be celebrating our 10th anniversary on Thursday, so that will probably be the biggest event.

It's a really, really humid day today (70 degree dewpoint), so we don't have to be out long before we're sweaty and red in the face. Today we've ended up being out quite a bit, and it really wore Ella out. This morning we had the oil in the van changed. While that was being done, the kids and I went for a walk around the downtown.

After lunch, we met up with Karine and her girls at a park now that they're home from their six weeks in Iceland and France. The kids all had fun seeing each other again, although after an hour everyone was drenched in sweat and Ella was more than ready to come home and nap.

Yesterday Cory received a letter from our bank letting him know that a $210 check I deposited for him on Saturday (one of three from his contract work) hadn't been included and that amount was deducted from the original deposit. Since Cory remembered sending all three checks with me and I remembered giving all three checks to the teller, Cory talked with the bank today and thankfully straightened it out. Turns out the misplaced check had gotten stuck with one of the others and hadn't been scanned.

I'm hoping that tomorrow will be a bit less humid for Accalia's afternoon dance rehearsal. Thankfully that's only supposed to be about an hour.

Ella had a late and long-for-her nap this afternoon (3:30-5:30), so she is quite awake still. Ditto Accalia and Cole without the benefit of naps. Shortly before Ella went down for her nap, I gave her a bath. She had smeared lotion all through her hair. Ella very much enjoys smearing things on herself - lotion in her hair, glue on her legs, lip balm in her ear.

Anyway, since Ella was napping and Cole was fine with staying at home with Cory, I took Accalia for her dress rehearsal (bun intact and looking pretty fine) and was able to sit there and watch her without also trying to keep another child or two content. Then Cory had to leave for three hours of seeing clients, so the kids and I were on our own for the evening. Around 9 p.m. we went outside to wait for Cory and saw a HUGE spider spinning a web on the front steps railing. I hope it's still there tomorrow so I can get a picture of it and maybe even identify it.

Tonight I'll be going to bed with a clean kitchen which is an enormous accomplishment for me. Must have been that iced coffee I made for myself that gave me that extra motivation.

Tomorrow Accalia has her last art session of the summer, so there'll be a little party for her there.

Over the weekend, Cory and I took a personality test that I came across in a magazine a few months old. It turns out we both have fairly similar personalities, which I could have told you before taking the test. There's one distinction in our personalities, though, that is most likely responsible for how different we react to things and approach resolutions. Cory is very much a black and white thinker. He sees things as being very much black and white with little or no in betweens. He's also a firm believer in following rules. I, on the other hand, tend to see many different options than an either/or and don't follow as closely the belief that just because an authority figure has said something means I have to do it. I told Cory that knowing that about the two of us really helps me see clearly why he reacts to things the way he does (thinking in particular about when one of the kids does something that doesn't especially thrill him). Oh, and here's the quiz we took in case you want to take it. I'm predominantly a negotiator type with director being my secondary type while Cory is just the opposite. It's apparently a fairly common couple combination.

Techonology is rebelling against me today! We've had some issues with our phone and being able to make calls, so I called the phone company today and they'll look into it. Now, though, I can't even get through to make local calls and I need to make appointments for an oil change and to have the dryer looked at this week. I can't use my cell phone at the moment either because it's charging. Grr...

Now, though, I have clothes to hang out and dishes to do and pirate costumes to put together for Accalia and Cole since they want to participate in the kid's parade Friday night to kick off Riverboat Days.

Ella was a bit on the cranky side today. She napped early and went to bed early, so perhaps she just needed more sleep. Hopefully a full night's rest will take care of the baby grumps. She's been busy with so many things over the past week or two. She's hit another developmental plateau that requires lots of extra attention, much like when she first discovered how to climb up on chairs. Her love of opening the refrigerator, of playing with water in the sink, of standing up on chairs to reach as many things off of counters as she can have been very time consuming for me as well since they seem to come with extra messes of all sorts. She's also expanding verbally, and her current favorite is to declare all things that are hot. She'll let me know if her carseat is hot, if my coffee is hot (not to worry, Ella only samples my iced coffee), if her food is hot, and so on. She's also enjoying taking part in conversations, even if she isn't always understandable in her replies.

It's been a fun weekend around here. Our dryer broke down Thursday, so I've spent a lot more time dealing with hanging out clothes and diapers. It's not so bad, and the weather has definitely cooperated for drying clothes. I suppose I'll call a repairman tomorrow, though, since hanging out clothes by the end of September may not be an option.

We went swimming yesterday at the rec center, too. Cory and I were going to suggest to the kids that we go to the beach, but Accalia beat us to the punch. It was actually nicer, I think, to be indoors swimming and avoid the heat, humidity and sand. Yesterday was a pretty uncomfortable day.

Neil Gaiman is one of Cory's favorite authors, but I have yet to read any of his adult books. Accalia, Cole and I have been enjoying some of his children's works, though, including this one.

We'll be busy this week with dance rehearsals for Accalia's Riverboat Days performance. Tomorrow is her dress rehearsal, so that means I'll be attempting another bun in her hair. Her hair's a little longer than it was in May, so that may make it a tad bit easier.

After the majority of Riverboat Days activities are down on Sunday, the kids and I are heading to Mankato for a few days. My friend Heather is scheduled to have baby #2 on Monday, and I want to be there as soon as possible!

Okay, going to get ready for bed now.

Last night before bed I thought it would be fun for all of us to go to a park today. That was without consulting the forecast, of course, which calls for rain/storms most of the day. And it has been raining for most of the day. Go figure. So we decided to go to the aquarium after lunch and check on the fish, turtles and snakes. Our small aquarium was packed with people, most of whom I assume must be campers looking for things to do that take them away from the rain.

I'm so happy it's raining, though. Even if August has continued to be hot and humid just like July, it has a completely different feel to it for me. Maybe it's the fact that the unofficial end to summer is only two weeks away with the start of school for Yankton kids. It's days like Monday when I was talking with another mom while waiting for Accalia to get out of dance that I realize how used to not being part of the school system I've become and how often I run into people that have no clue that Accalia isn't preparing to return to school. This mom and I were talking about the fall semester of dance, and she wanted to know if Accalia was going to take more than one class and if I thought it would be too much for her with school and all. I hadn't thought at all of her worries when Accalia decided to take two dance classes this fall. There was no need to worry about her being exhausted from a full day at school and having to fit yet another thing into her schedule. God, I love Accalia being able to pursue her interest without worrying about her time and energy being taken up by uninportant things!

Yesterday Ella didn't nap before supper, and I knew she was so tired as I took her out of her high chair and brushed off kernels of corn off of her dress from the sweet corn we had been eating. While I was clearing the table, Ella climbed up into our green recliner. After a few minutes I looked over and saw she had falled asleep. That is the first time she has ever done that. Other than falling asleep in the van when we're traveling, she doesn't fall asleep without nursing first, which is just fine with me. Just like Accalia and Cole, she'll move on to another way of drifting off to sleep when she's ready for it. Here is a picture of her fast asleep:



Of course, Ella only took an extended nap and ended up staying awake until past midnight.

Here are a couple pictures from last weekend of all of the nieces and nephews on my side:





Just one more picture - Ella and Brooklyn with my mom:

It's an overcast, rainy at times and extremely humid August day. Accalia and Cole have been craving hot cocoa and brownies, so that's what they snacked on early in the afternoon. We did a little grocery shopping this morning and now have a big bowl of apples on the table, and Accalia's eating an apple with a spoon right now.

Speaking of food, last week Ella discovered she could open the refrigerator door by herself. That's her biggest delight right now - walking to the refrigerator, opening the door, surveying the contents and picking out something to eat. She usually picks out a carrot, so I have a bag of sliced up carrots right in front for her. Her other frequent picks are slices of cheese or lunch meat. She also realized she could get water out of the water pitcher on the top shelf. That's a bit messier if I'm not there to help her out a bit. This morning I discovered the veggie bin was completely full of ice cold water.

We had a good weekend in Mankato even though it was rainy most of Saturday and the kids didn't get a lot of time outside. Cory and I had our lunch date at Olive Garden and had a fabulous time. We were only out for an hour, but it was pretty nice sitting at a small table for two rather than one for five and being able to dive right into our food without cutting up or cooling off three other plates first.

Other than that, we spent time visiting with my brothers, their wives and all of the kids and, of course, with my parents. It was a pretty low key weekend. We even got to see Heather and Aidan for a few minutes on Sunday when they stopped by to drop off birthday presents for Cole and myself (birthdays in September) as part of getting prepared for the new baby's arrival in two weeks. We'll be back in Mankato to see the new baby. It'll be so nice to hold a newborn again!

Accalia has dance in about an hour. I'll get her registered for the fall semester of dance tonight, too, and am hoping that neither of her two classes falls at the 5 o'clock hour like it has since last fall. That's rather inconvenient for us with trying to eat supper between Cory's schedule and ours. Ah well. Cory may have a completely different schedule in the fall.

Better get back to clearing off the counter in the kitchen.

So far everyone we know of in the Minneapolis area is safe and sound. Cory's cousin's husband only works three blocks from the bridge, so we were most worried about him. Thankfully he had already crossed the bridge and arrived home before the collapse. Just yesterday morning I had been talking with someone about the Meridian Bridge that crosses the Missouri River here at Yankton and the new bridge they're constructing nearby. I mentioned that one of my worst fears is driving on a bridge and having it collapse or our vehicle somehow going over the edge. That fear of mine is part of the reason that Cory gave me a flashlight that also has a glass breaker and seatbelt cutter. Just trying to be prepared and not completely paranoid!

While I'm at it, I'll throw out the other bit of sad news for the day. We found out that the dog at the corner house (three houses down) died yesterday. He had gotten sick, but I don't know what happened. He was young and huge and energetic. When the kids and I would go for walks, we'd walk on the other side of the street if he were out because he'd bound up to us and jump on us, and I wasn't quite strong enough to push him off myself very well.

The kids went to the last story time of the summer this morning. The tradition is that after stories and a short cartoon, the kids go outside to play a few games and then the summer assistants surprise the kids by hiding up on the library roof and throwing water balloons down. The kids love it. No one came away from that too wet, though.

Tomorrow we're heading to Mankato for the weekend. Have to keep sorting laundry and start packing. Shouldn't be too difficult!

Accalia and I were coming home from the store when I heard on the radio about the bridge collapse in Minneapolis. Cory and I have been glued to the news since then. We've been trying to get in touch with a lot of people we know who may have had reason to be driving on that part of the Interstate. If you're around that area, drop me a note to let me know you're okay!

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.