Is it really the 3rd week of July already?

What? You wanted to see photos of kids? Updates on our doings? Something to read at work to break up the boredom? I am here to help.

Reece had a bug bite behind his right ear a few weeks ago and we thought nothing of it. Then I picked him up from school the next day and he looked like this (actually, the hair is courtesy of just getting out of the bathtub):I think half of his head was channeling Dopey from Snow White. As you can see, it didn't bother him at all. That same evening, Greyson decided to label his belly with his name. In case he lost it, I guess:

We've had two weeks of company - first some of Dan's fraternity brothers and one spouse for a reunion weekend, then Dan's sister and niece came for six days (they left today) and his brother is here for two weeks. It's been great fun but has left little time for blogging. I also didn't get very many pictures because I could never find my camera when I wanted it and I was having too much fun to care very much.

I stayed home with the two little ones (Carly is 3) on Monday while everyone else went to see the new Harry Potter movie. Much painting took place that evening, with lots of cooperating and admiring each other's art. I fear Reece needs a little sister. Except when she tries to talk to him when he's watching TV. My ears are still ringing from his wails of "CAAAARRRRLLLYYYY! Stop Talking!!"

Isn't she a cutie??!! A real pistol and very sweet at the same time.

No, really??

I get email updates on product recalls from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and sometimes the wording of the warning cracks me up with its obviousness. Examples include burn hazards associated with lighters and laceration risks due to using knives. But this one I received today is by far the best:

Women’s Shoes Recalled by Charles David Due to Fall Hazard

Seriously?? Granted, the actual risk is that the heels tend to break off, but I have to say I just wouldn't be surprised if I fell wearing one of these even with the heels fully intact. I especially like that they're designed by a man...

Attempt to beautify a concrete slab

My mom asked to see a photo of how I "beautified" the back patio, and since I try to do as my mother asks, here are two:

Also, one of Reece's teachers convinced him to get into the water yesterday during swim lessons, so he asked me this morning if we could go to the pool together so he can "swim" in the big pool. That's got to be some kind of record of going from fear of the water to being ready to jump right in!

Renovations update

Kids? I don't have kids to write about. I just have a house that's been partially demolished and no secure funding to build it up again. I'm going to have to rename this blog shortly to something like "The Drama About the House" if things don't get resolved soon around here.

We have now had three appraisers come through -one before the demolition and two since. I'm getting very adept at talking up the best points of our house and skirting around any negatives. The irony is that while we're hoping for the house to appraise high for loan purposes, the county auditor just sent us a notice that they've lowered our house's worth for taxes. Best case scenario is that the appraisals come back high for the bank, we do all the renovations, and we pay lower taxes. Worst case, we start putting away the money we're saving on taxes so we can rebuild the garage, etc. in 10 years and Dan kills me this winter after the 100th day he has to dig his car out from under two feet of snow at 7am.

Most likely we'll know by the end of the week what both banks are willing to give us and then we'll decide from there. Oh and the kids? They're fine. Greyson's loving his camp; Reece started swim lessons at school/camp but refuses to actually get in the water (he will, however, lie on the drain shelf and put his WHOLE FACE in to blow bubbles); we had a lovely July 4th weekend that included all the required activities - a bbq/picnic with friends, pool time, fireworks with the cousins, an Indians game for Dan & Greyson, and planting flowers for Reece & me. I took no pictures during this time and am depending on Tara and her new camera to provide them. Eventually I'll post photos from our Chicago trip a few weeks ago, but I need to get permission from some people who are also in them before I do so. Until then, you're stuck with a whole lot of black print on white background.

And then it stalls

We are having more financing issues, after we thought it was all settled. Others I've talked to recently have encountered very similar problems. We all have great credit scores, good jobs and incomes, low debt, and the banks are still putting up tons of roadblocks. Who, exactly, are they loaning money to?? Maybe it's because I end my sentences with a preposition.

Here are photos of the area where the mudporch used to be. We're not using the backdoor at all because of the wires hanging down, and so far we've adjusted well. I just have to teach Greyson the quirks of opening the front door locks now so he can get himself in after camp.

And so it begins

Demolition started Thursday and was completed Friday. If you want to see the before pictures, click here. The concrete person won't start until the week of July 6th, so in the meantime we have lots of open space and are getting used to not using our backdoor. We could actually use it, but there are low-hanging wires and this gives us the chance to get accustomed to the way our lives will be for the next 3 or 4 months. Now the kids have more space for bike riding, and they can snack on the wild black raspberries that were against the side of the garage. Dan was curious about what we would find behind the garage, but all we uncovered were some sand toys we hadn't seen in three years.

Facing where the garage stood.

Another gem

The routine here at Philtur Central is that everyone hits the bathroom and washes hands when coming inside after school/work/camp/trips/whatever. Today, when Reece came out after the process, he came up to me with a very satisfied expression on his face and said, "I feel like a new man" and then walked off. I don't know what I did for entertainment before that one came along.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend. Reece played his first baseball game (at the church picnic) and did surprisingly well - even ran the bases in the right order!

Only the second child would think of this

Reece, yesterday: "Mom, Greyson has been on the computer all day and won't let me play on it so can you be mad at him please?"

The next step is his own Blackberry

As of today, Greyson has his own email address. I immediately received four messages from him that said "Mom, email me back", "Mom, reply right now", "Come on answer", and "Dad says write to him too". He seems to be confusing this with instant messaging (and don't any of you dare mention that possibility to him!)

Update: Per Dan, who saw Greyson this morning before Dan left for work, as Greyson was clearing the sleep from his eyes, he said "I have to check my email". Thanks to everyone who responded to him, because when I got up he came right in and told me, with much excitement, who had sent him emails.

If you wake a Reece in the morning (with apologies to Laura Numeroff)

If you wake a Reece in the morning, he's going to take a while to open his eyes.
While he's opening his eyes, he's going to ask you to pick out his clothes.
When you ask him which shirt he wants, he will tell you that you have to make all the decisions.
While you're making the decisions, he will tell you he's too tired to get up.
When you tell him you will put his clothes on the chair in his room while he wakes up, he will use his whiny voice to tell you to throw them down the clothes chute.
When you say that they are clean clothes and don't belong down the chute, he will start crying.
When he starts crying, you will tell him that you have to get yourself dressed and he can get himself dressed when he is ready.
He will cry harder, and he may close his eyes and cry himself back to sleep. And then you have to start waking him all over again.