"Curious George went down through a hole. He bit some people. The lamp wasn't broken. He talked on the phone. The End."
This is the cover of the book that Silas read.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
PG-13 for disturbing images
This picture serves as a buffer for the image that follows. It was taken within minutes of the next. I promise that I didn't pull this happy face from the archives.
Micah has Erythema Multiforme (minor- at this point). What you can't tell from this picture is that these lesions are raised and target-like. It doesn't seem to bother him. In fact, he's been happier today than he has been since he first got sick 10 days ago. The only crying today has been from the 3 times he hit his head on the tile floor. I don't think the rash and the falling are related.
And the fence is done!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Reflections on the Fence and some Pictures of the Progress
The fence project began Wednesday afternoon. I called the fence company we paid from the interest free loan we gave the government last year. They told us they would be there Monday. Like this Monday.
This is the section blowing into our neighbor's yard.
The unfinished deck that Micah wants to fall off of when we play outside.
I had a plan for this all along. My plan didn't include the weekend being that of Easter or children with the flu. Taking down the fence ourselves has saved us $300 minus the cost of the tetanus shot I'm going to have to get. Joel and I have done the entire thing alone. This brings me to my next thought. Dr. Phil said (more than) once, "Good fences make good neighbors." Without a fence around our yard, we've been exposed to the neighborhood in front of, and behind us. We like the people who live on our street. We've made a point to meet them and I try to be in the front yard when I see others outside in their yards. Some of the neighborhood friends who have stopped by to see me, or Joel and me, work have said things like the following:
"You're tearing your fence down? Are you moving out or something?" (this was by a 4-year-old girl).
"You young kids are doing a great job. I'm going to go drink a cup of coffee now." (this was by a neighbor who shares the largest side of the fence. We had strongly hoped she would add, "And then I'll be out to help you...")
"Is that your park?" (by the 4-year-old girl's 5-year-old sister)
It's been nice to have people come and go as we work. Silas has asked me no fewer than 25 times "What are you doing". The first 24 times I answered, "I'm tearing down the old fence so we can build a new one. This one is broken." The 25th time, I realized he was ready for a more complex answer and so I told him the cold, hard truth. This answer, especially in light of our neighbors' comings and goings into our yard, saddened me. "Silas, in our culture, we go to great lengths to define our personal space and property. Many people build fences to keep people out of their yards." And out of their lives.
The unfinished deck that Micah wants to fall off of when we play outside.
I had a plan for this all along. My plan didn't include the weekend being that of Easter or children with the flu. Taking down the fence ourselves has saved us $300 minus the cost of the tetanus shot I'm going to have to get. Joel and I have done the entire thing alone. This brings me to my next thought. Dr. Phil said (more than) once, "Good fences make good neighbors." Without a fence around our yard, we've been exposed to the neighborhood in front of, and behind us. We like the people who live on our street. We've made a point to meet them and I try to be in the front yard when I see others outside in their yards. Some of the neighborhood friends who have stopped by to see me, or Joel and me, work have said things like the following:
"You're tearing your fence down? Are you moving out or something?" (this was by a 4-year-old girl).
"You young kids are doing a great job. I'm going to go drink a cup of coffee now." (this was by a neighbor who shares the largest side of the fence. We had strongly hoped she would add, "And then I'll be out to help you...")
"Is that your park?" (by the 4-year-old girl's 5-year-old sister)
It's been nice to have people come and go as we work. Silas has asked me no fewer than 25 times "What are you doing". The first 24 times I answered, "I'm tearing down the old fence so we can build a new one. This one is broken." The 25th time, I realized he was ready for a more complex answer and so I told him the cold, hard truth. This answer, especially in light of our neighbors' comings and goings into our yard, saddened me. "Silas, in our culture, we go to great lengths to define our personal space and property. Many people build fences to keep people out of their yards." And out of their lives.
The boards with nails at the bottom of the gate to keep lewis from crawling underneath when we play in the front yard.
I should note this is NOT why we are building our fence. Ours is to keep people in. And so we don't have to pick up all of our outside toys every time we have to go in for orange juice or emergency nap times. Before, I thought this was a very important aspect of rebuilding a privacy fence, as opposed to a chain link fence, like most folks have in our neighborhood. But after our fence came down and we saw how everyone else really lives in their backyards, I don't feel the same way at all.
A big ole pile of pickets. This will all be firewood as soon as we can turn the chain saw on.
Ivy we pulled off the fence. And this isn't all off it.
I should note this is NOT why we are building our fence. Ours is to keep people in. And so we don't have to pick up all of our outside toys every time we have to go in for orange juice or emergency nap times. Before, I thought this was a very important aspect of rebuilding a privacy fence, as opposed to a chain link fence, like most folks have in our neighborhood. But after our fence came down and we saw how everyone else really lives in their backyards, I don't feel the same way at all.
A big ole pile of pickets. This will all be firewood as soon as we can turn the chain saw on.
Ivy we pulled off the fence. And this isn't all off it.
Monday, March 17, 2008
What Happens when the Fanks AND the Bradleys Visit at the Same Time
I've been meaning to post these pictures for a long time. These were taken over Christmas/THE WEDDING.
The upstairs
the Breakfast table
the Guest Bedroom
The upstairs
the Breakfast table
the Guest Bedroom
The Longest Day of Spring
Time is standing still here.
1) Joel has been working until midnight for the last 4 days.
2) Micah has had a fever since March 14. He hasn't walked or climbed on/fallen off the picnic table since then.
3) On Thursday, March 13, we planted seeds to grow nice things for our back yard. Now, I'm no gardening expert, but I think that seeds are supposed to get at least some sunshine. Am I right? Huh. No sunshine since early on March 14.
4) Supposedly everyone is on Spring Break. I was sure that when everyone had spring break, things would somehow be different at our house. But it must be March 14 and spring break doesn't start for at least 3 more days (10 days for others) because there is no vacationing around here...
Normally, I would be glad for a little consistency. But I don't want Micah to have a fever forever. I actually enjoy it a little bit when he tubles off the picnic table (so long as no crying is involved) It would be nice to eat supper with Joel again. And if our little seeds survived the mini flooding and hail we've had nearly every night since "march 14", I would really like to say I grew something this year. And spring break? No need to say anything more about that.
Yes, today-March 14-has been one very long day. I'm especially thankful for friends and family I've talked to and for my neighbor who has been so helpful with Silas while Micah needs so much attention. And at least Joel working until midnight means he's been home until noon, ensuring some of the most cheerful playtime hours (except for Micah, whose aforementioned state has kept him napping all of Joel's waking hours at home). If we can get out of this glitch in time and get to Wednesday, he'll have another day off and maybe I'll remember to take a picture of something.
1) Joel has been working until midnight for the last 4 days.
2) Micah has had a fever since March 14. He hasn't walked or climbed on/fallen off the picnic table since then.
3) On Thursday, March 13, we planted seeds to grow nice things for our back yard. Now, I'm no gardening expert, but I think that seeds are supposed to get at least some sunshine. Am I right? Huh. No sunshine since early on March 14.
4) Supposedly everyone is on Spring Break. I was sure that when everyone had spring break, things would somehow be different at our house. But it must be March 14 and spring break doesn't start for at least 3 more days (10 days for others) because there is no vacationing around here...
Normally, I would be glad for a little consistency. But I don't want Micah to have a fever forever. I actually enjoy it a little bit when he tubles off the picnic table (so long as no crying is involved) It would be nice to eat supper with Joel again. And if our little seeds survived the mini flooding and hail we've had nearly every night since "march 14", I would really like to say I grew something this year. And spring break? No need to say anything more about that.
Yes, today-March 14-has been one very long day. I'm especially thankful for friends and family I've talked to and for my neighbor who has been so helpful with Silas while Micah needs so much attention. And at least Joel working until midnight means he's been home until noon, ensuring some of the most cheerful playtime hours (except for Micah, whose aforementioned state has kept him napping all of Joel's waking hours at home). If we can get out of this glitch in time and get to Wednesday, he'll have another day off and maybe I'll remember to take a picture of something.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Like falling off a blog
If anyone is still out there reading our blog, I'm back. I have to be. There are too many exciting things coming up this spring: a huge fence demolition/resconstruction, a camping trip, a trip out west to Arizona, not to mention all the "normal" things that happen here worth remembering (like what we will do with Joel's TWO DAYS OFF IN A ROW this week! Amazing.).
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
It didn't make the paper...
...but the big news around here is that Micah is walking! You can also see in the picture that he has 4, count 'em, FOUR teeth in his mouth.
We've been having such a great time around here. Silas and Micah each have different things they love, but still find ways to involve the other in play/fighting over it.
Silas loves to build with blocks. Micah loves to knock them over.
Micah loves to roll the soccer ball. Silas loves to pick it up and throw it down the stairs or onto the stove.
Silas loves to play with cars. Micah loves to put the cars in his mouth.
Micah loves to climb onto the picnic table. Silas loves to sit as close to him as possible, ensuring a quick fall by Micah.
You just never know when the game is going to be taken as an offense. Keeps me on my toes, for sure.
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