Big Trouble in Little House

Things took a turn around here after RotoRooter was here. Apparently our sewer line is broken and must be repaired. Their estimate? Nearly $16,000. This hasn't been a very good kickoff to the holiday season!! We talked for a long time yesterday, and even Wm got in on the action - and decided to do the much less expensive small scale repair (still closing in on $5,000) and move from such an old house when Wm is done with elementary school. We had planned to stay here long-term, but we just can't keep up with such huge repairs!! Wm is excited to get a new, bigger, bedroom and I am excited to get an extra bathroom (I refuse to even look at houses that don't have more than 1 bathroom!) It's probably not all bad since we were concerned about living in such a small house with Wm as a teen - he (and we!) would have zero privacy. It will be hard to leave Blueberry Hill in 2 years, but on to bigger and better things!! It's a bummer that Steve's bonus will go toward sewer lines instead of the bathroom remodel we had in mind, but it is what it is. At least the toilet will finally flush right!

Thanksgiving

We have had a great, but very busy, Thanksgiving holiday so far! First, we drove up to NE Ohio on Thanksgiving day and had dinner with Steve's family, along with Mimi and Guy. I think I saw Wm was less than 5 minutes that entire day. He and his cousin Andrew were off gallivanting about (mostly virtually). We ate a ton of food and had a great time!! The drive back was SCARY. Just as we left, the roads were really bad and I told Steve I thought we should just go back, but he took a wrong turn and by the time we got straightened out, everything was fine. Then we had no other trouble at all until we hit around Mansfield and it was a total white-out and we crept along 71 at about 20mph with our hazards on, Steve white knuckled, me freaking out, and Wm snoring happily in the back seat. We saw cars littering the ditches everywhere. Thankfully, the Subaru trucked through and we didn't so much as slip once! We didn't get home until well past 11pm, so we crashed hard once we got home!

Steve having a face-off with his second helping

How Wm spent the day (on the iPad in the other room)

Aunt Amy and Andrew made these and they were just too cute!

Then we woke up on Friday and had to hand wash all of our dishes (TORTURE) because our dishwasher is broken and Steve is waiting on a part. Steve then immediately left to take my car in for the windshield to be replaced (it had a giant, growing, crack in it). It took them forever and he just pulled up and honked and Wm and I ran out and hopped in so we could drive to Marion to see Great Papa. We were running pretty late because of the windshield business, but, with Steve's driving, we were only 5 minutes late!! We got to visit Great Papa's store and then go out to lunch. Great Papa handed Wm a $50 bill and I thought Wm's eyes were going to bulge out of his head. He goes, "I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS MUCH MONEY!" He has already spent $11 of it on random iPad game junk. He claimed he was going to save $20 of it, but I don't see that happening. It was snowing again when we left Marion, but stopped quickly and the roads were fine. We were beginning to think we were cursed!!

Treasure found in the back of the store

Because everything has been falling apart in our house, RotoRooter is on it's way here now to snake the main drain and toilet vent. It sucks to be dealing with all this weird stuff (dishwasher, car, toilet) while traveling all around trying to enjoy the holiday!! We were supposed to go over and have dinner at Mimi and Guy's tonight, but Mimi is sick. We're sending healing thoughts her way and are looking forward to the postponed dinner tomorrow!! But first, tomorrow morning, Steve and I are volunteering at church (well, I volunteered and then coerced Steve into coming). We are helping all the elementary school age children make bags of bean soup mix for the hungry and talking about poverty/hunger alleviation. Wm is excited that Steve and I will be leading his Sunday School class tomorrow!

It will be good to head back to work Monday so I can relax! ;-)

Busy Weekend

We had a super busy weekend! We had plans to go look at a bathroom showroom and pick out the new stuff we are getting first thing Saturday morning, but we got an ice storm and ended up stranded at home. But, by lunchtime it was melted and Wm got to go to his first STEMM club meeting - and made a DNA helix out of twizzlers and gummy bears!

Then we finally made it to the bathroom place and spent forever wandering and picking stuff out. Luckily, the whole family agreed on everything! We should have a whole new bathroom before the new year! And the owner of the bathroom place commented numerous times on how well behaved Wm was. Thank god. Wm loves picking stuff out.

Sunday turned out to be pretty balmy, so Wm and I headed to church with Mimi, grabbed Daddy on the way to lunch, and we all headed out together. Afterwards, we got the cars washed and prepped for winter. Mine was covered in goose excrement.  If there was ever an animal that I would like to hunt…it would be The Goose. The Goose is my natural enemy. I loathe them. They are evil and they hiss - and poo all over my car. And they are EVERYWHERE around my office. Anywhoooo, goose hatred aside, it is nice to have my car clean and waxed and winterized. Right after dinner, I headed off to covenant group and didn't get home until Wm was in bed. Whew!!! 

I found this video of Schroeder attacking, and then licking, Wm's head. Fun stuff.

Sopapillas

I went and had a leaky filling drilled out and redone yesterday. Which sucked. Obviously. I jumped on a cancellation time they gave me so I wouldn't have to go do it the week of Thanksgiving, but didn't think through how the 11am appointment time would effect my lunch (or lack thereof). I had to leave work at 10:30 to get there and was completely numb until about 5pm. So by dinner time I was VERY hungry. And there was no way I was cooking any food with a numb face and an empty belly! Off we went to Local Cantina! (Note: Steve won the Epic Restaurant Battle and got his chips and dips.) 

But, this time, we took The Tiny Sprout with us. He LOVED it. He said they had the best quesadillas ever. And he ate such a great dinner, we decided to reward him with his first ever sopapilla experience. He was a huuuuuge fan. His "happy thing" for the day was getting to go out to eat at Local Cantina. Watching him take down that sopapilla was hilarious!!

YUM!!

Wm attacked that thing!

Steve and I were huddled under the heated blanket last night and I heard sad cat noises coming from below. Turns out, Schroeder lost a mouse under the ottoman and was taking it hard.

Depressed cat.

Wm has his first STEMM club activity this weekend and he is really excited!! It is a study of "small things" including nano tech and bacteria. I am arranging a trip for the STEMM club to come to my work in February!! The professor who runs our labs is going to take the kids through 3 stations: one where they will learn about ultrasounds and get to see their own carotid artery, one where they get to use our bone breaking press to break chicken bones to see how/where/why bones break, and one where they get to use an EKG to monitor their own heart! Wm is puuuuumped.

Winter Wonderland!

We got our first snow last night! It clung to every branch and tree and looked like a fairyland! Here is our backyard looking out our backdoor:

Winter Wonderland of Snow

In other awesome news, our entire server/internet crashed at work so there is nothing we can do! Wheeee!!! I told the IT guy that I would pay him to fix it slowly. Because of all the mayhem, I came home from work early and decided to settle in for a little Real Simple reading and relaxation before I shoveled. Schroeder had other ideas:

Fat larding around on my magazine

Wm and I have started our own book club. Our first book is When You Reach Me. We are about halfway through and things are really starting to get interesting. The only problem is that Wm refuses to stop calling the main character "he" even though it's a girl named Miranda. It's really putting a damper on the book club. It has been fun to hear his thoughts on what's going on! And we both think time travel is involved somehow...

They are opening a new restaurant in The Ville that is all locally sourced farm-to-table food and we are really excited about it! Well, Steve was until today. Because it opens this Friday and they released their menu. All their stuff is really healthy and Steve was horrified to discover they use only brown rice (his most hated rice). They also just opened a new cantina within walking distance and we went there while Wm was at The Birthday Party and Steve LOVED it. So he has started demanding we just go back there instead so he can get their chips and queso dip and barbacoa tacos - which, admittedly, were super good. Then, things got even worse...

Steve: I don't know....

Me: Well, we have to try at least try it! It sounds like it could be good! We can't let a nice new restaurant open so close and NOT go to at least see.

Steve: I guess. I could get a caesar salad.

Me: It's a kale caesar salad.

Steve: AGGHHHHHCK! I AM NOT GOING TO THAT PLACE.

Essay

We're supposed to get the first snow of the season tonight - and wake up to 3-5 inches. So I shared at lunch...

Me: We're supposed to get 3-5 inches tonight! Time to break out the boots!!

Steve: I saw 1-3.

Me: Weather.com said 3-5!

Wm: You have to go to weather.GOV, Mommy. weather.com is crap.

Sigh.

Looking cute during snack time

Found his favorite mouse under the end table. Life is good.

Wm had a Minecraft birthday party yesterday he was SO excited about. But he came home nearly in tears because a couple of the boys had "destroyed the world he built" and he grumped around all afternoon. Then, this morning, after he asked me to play with him, he started messing around on the iPad while we were playing the actual real life, physical game he wanted to play! So when I pointed out that wasn't very nice, he was all grumpy. We had to leave for church, but I told him when we got home, the only way he was getting screens back was to write an essay about how games are less important than real people - and why real people with real feelings should always be prioritized over a "silly game."  He goes, "An essay?!!??! THAT'S INSANE!!!!!" But, you bet your butt he had that thing written 15 minutes after walking in the door, without complaint, so he could play iPad after lunch!

Essay

Wm's Essay:

I am very sorry for how I treated you this morning. I definitely understand how it is more important to be nice than to cry about games. I know that real people's feelings are more important than games, and it hurts their feelings to be mean about games. I won't be mean to you because I am playing a game currently. I will do what you tell me to do if I'm playing a game. I hope you suggest giving me screens back.

Sincerely, William

P.S. I care about people's feelings because I feel like I feel what they feel, and it makes me sad to make them sad. I don't like to hurt someone in any way.

Before School

For about an hour every morning, Wm goes to the same place he has Summer Clubhouse and hangs out and parties. After Steve and I rearranged our whole lives to make sure we dropped him off and picked him up from school, the summer after kindergarten, he loved Summer Clubhouse so much be begged to go to either Before School or After School programs at the same place. We couldn't believe it! But, it worked out well for us because we could just go back to the way things had always been! And Wm has been heading there before school for the last 2 and a half years (and, of course, having a blast every summer!) The best part is, if you go year round, they also provide snow day and school break care as well.  Every year, we let Wm pick which days he wants to go to Clubhouse and which days he wants to lounge at home. We just got the forms to select which winter break days he'll be there, and Wm can't wait!! I always take a bunch of vacation around the holidays and the days Wm asked to go to Clubhouse mean I will have 2 full days home alone. Wheeeee!!! And, Wm still will be home for 8 days and at Clubhouse for 4. (He always demands a couple days pre-Christmas and a couple days post-Christmas so he can show off the toys he got!)

Wm coloring at Clubhouse before school

Working on a circuit with a sleepy friend

Schroeder's favorite place is in the shaft of sunlight that hits our bed. I busted him in an embarrassing situation this weekend:

"Don't put this on the internet." - Schroeder

I go to the dentist on Monday - my most hated check up of all time. I was shopping with a friend the other day and ran across this tooth pillow. I said this is what my teeth look like! 

Rotten and worn out

Good times

Wm and I were taking a walk yesterday and I was talking about how one of my biggest regrets is that I am not fluent in another language and how it opens up whole new worlds to you if you can speak more than one language. So then I asked Wm what other language he would like to learn. He replied: "British." When I told him that they speak English in Great Britain and it's not another language, he goes, "Yeah, but some words are different - like they call an elevator a 'lift' and they pronounce aluminum 'al-loo-min-ee-um.' Crazy!" 

When Wm ignores me to play on the computer FOREVER, I often stalk him while humming the theme to Jaws and then tickle attack him....

Wm: [quietly playing on the computer]

Me: Dummm dummm

Wm: STOP.

Me: DUMMM DUMMMM

Wm: SERIOUSLY.

Me: dooo doo doooooooo

Wm: [sigh] You're killing me.

Steve's hobby is also ignoring me. I was trying tell him that Wm wants to speak "British" and he wasn't replying. So I began my Campaign of Annoyance. 

 

Steve likes to ignore me while pretending to "work." Pffft. I'm on to him. Actually, though, I like to text the poor guy funny goings on and pictures because he is having a rough weekend. I guess a bunch of the people at the tournament this weekend are SUPER rude.  I told him he should just be super rude right back and then be like, "go ahead and call the manager on Monday!" Then, on Monday, when they call "the manager" (aka HIM), he can be like, "Oh, yeah, I totally fired that guy. He was horrible."

School Pictures

Steve is at work all weekend. He says he's "tired and freezing." Meanwhile, it's after 10am and Wm and I are still in our jammies and lounging around happily snuggled up.  Poor Steve! I will have the house all cleaned and groceries purchased by the time he gets home so he feels better about his sad situation this weekend!

Steve hard at work

This just made me laugh.

And now...the main event: Wm's 3rd grad school picture!

Crazy teeth and tie askew. Cutest. Ever.

We lined up his kindergarten, first grade, second grade, and now third grade pictures and they are hilarious! I would title them A Tale of Wm's Teeth. In kindergarten he looks SO tiny!! And is smiling without showing any teeth. Then in first grade he has a big grin and a row of tiny baby teeth. Then in second grade his two front teeth are missing and that's the main show. As you can see, by 3rd grade, he is missing a boatload of teeth! He always has a huge smile, so those choppers are center stage! And I cannot believe how much he's grown from kindergarten until now. He's getting so big!! This may be his last picture at his current school if he moves to ECLIPSE next year. I pointed that out and he goes, "YEAH!!!" He is very excited about the prospect - even if he has to ride the bus instead of just walking up the street! We take a tour in the spring and then have to officially make up our minds.

Mature

Wm is more mature than I am. I was tucking him into bed last night and we were talking about Halloween…

Wm: I am already thinking about what I want to be next year! I love Halloween!
Me: You should be zombie Jesus next year!
Wm: MOMMY! That would offend some people.

Wonder Conference

We just came from Wm's first 3rd grade parent/teacher conference and it was AMAZING. They didn't have one single negative thing to say (even when I asked if he had the wiggles, they said he is doing great!) Every subject is above grade level - especially reading (his teachers said he's reading books WAY above grade level), math (where he is doing the 4th grade Math sheets and acing them), spelling, and vocab. His reading teacher said Wm's writing is extraordinary - he is a very creative thinker, has an amazing vocabulary, and writes very, very well! I told her Wm journals every night and she was very impressed (mostly, his journal is about Minecraft and computer junk...but whatevs). Even more surprising is the reading teacher said Wm's PowerPoint presentation to the class was great and he didn't seem nervous at all (he hates getting up in front of people).  His science teacher said that Wm works really well in groups with other students - and even helps the other kids!

Wm is now at an age where he is VERY aware that we are talking about him with his teachers - and also very aware that their feedback is important. When we came out, he goes, "TELL ME EVERYTHING THEY SAID. DO NOT LEAVE ANYTHING OUT." When we told him it was all wonderful and everything they said, he practically glowed.  Wm, like pretty much everyone, responds extremely well to praise! His math teacher did say that Wm is not used to getting things wrong - and when he rushes through things he thinks are "easy" and then makes a mistake, and he hears he is wrong, he goes, "WHAT?!?!!?" and is very upset. Wm does not like to be wrong. At. All.

Yay for Wm!!!!

Day Off!

Wm is off today for a teacher in-service day, and Steve is off because he works this weekend. I was jealous of all their fun plans (and it's absolutely perfect outside!), so I took today off too! We went hiking at Highbanks and got pizza for lunch. Wm says he wants to go vote with me now. Fun day off!!

While we were hiking...

Me: Aren't we lucky to live so close to such a pretty place?

Wm: Yeah. And we're lucky to live so close to Target...and GameStop.

Bird watching

Tree pose

Wm even managed tree pose!

Spotted the bald eagle!

Breaking Wm's Heart

We got our family portraits back! This is the free one we got, but we got much better ones too (that cost us Wm's college education, but they turned out really well!!)

Wm has taken over not only his own iPad, but now mine. He likes to set up some game and he plays on both at the same time - and also makes Steve play him on mine sometimes too. So now my iPad is full of weird things that are always beeping and buzzing at me while I'm trying to read. So I deleted a bunch of old apps off it that I thought Wm wasn't using anymore. In my deleting frenzy,  I deleted his current favorite by mistake...

Wm: Did you delete Terraria from your iPad?

Me: Oh, I must have by mistake. Sorry. It's fine - it's on the Cloud. Just download it from there.

Wm: I already did! But the character I had completed is gone now!

Me: Sorry - I didn't know!! I figured if it was on the Cloud, it was all there!

Wm: You broke my heart.

Post Halloween

Wm's school had their Halloween Parade actually on Halloween, so the day AFTER trick or treating this year...and, sadly, it rained. So they moved it indoors. I thought about skipping it because I had heard from other parents that the indoor parade was awful - and you hardly got to see your kid. I called Steve and asked what he thought and he goes, "just skip it." Then, right before it started, I was like, "NoooOOOoooOOooo!!!" and raced to the school. I just pictured Wm looking for me in the parent-lined hallways and not seeing me anywhere and being sad. I got there, all sweaty and disheveled, and then had to wait around for ages while they organized things. Finally, the parade started and I got to see Wm! For about 30 seconds.

Slender Man waving!

I tried to take a video, but Wm wasn't into it. Behind the camera, I am doing "Toddlers and Tiaras"-style stage mom motions and waving to get Wm to do something interesting. As you can see...fail.


Then Grandma and Grandpa came today and brought Wm a super double awesome Halloween bucket filled with candy, games, books, and even a movie! Wm is in Halloween heaven!! We all had a great visit!

So after the trick or treating, all the candy, the decorations, the party, the presents, the costume...everything,  I said to Wm, "what was your favorite thing about Halloween this year?" and he goes, "seeing you at the parade!" Thank the lord I went!!! Who knew something so small would mean so much to the little guy?? Lesson learned.

And even Schroeder got into the Halloween spirit - he developed a love/hate relationship with the Halloween clementine: