Cold Weather and Holiday Excitment...

It is that time of year again when it always seems dark and the air is rather cold. 17 degrees at the buss top this morning and soon we will no longer walk there. Going to have to warm up the van and waste some gas so the boys and I don't freeze. Luckily when the baby comes and the weather is coldest the wife will be home too. Brrrr the one thing I am not looking forward to about February... The COLD!!! According to the local TV weather man. (Tom Skilling) it looks like the first week of December will be a brutal one... JOY! Why do we live here again?

With Christmas around the corner the boys are getting really excited. They know the gifts are coming and their eyes are getting really BIG... I want this, that and the other thing. I don't want to put a damped on their spirits, but I also do not want them to think they should get THOUSANDS of dollars worth of things... I know they are just kids and I am sure I did the same thing, but at the same time I do not want them to think it is all about.. "ME"

Last night was a terrible night for sleep with 3yo up late and then waking in the middle of the night with the wind howling. Even though he was in the room with his big brother he came storming out upset looking for us. He got into be with us, but I soon realized there was no room for me. The 3yo somehow takes up more room then the wife and I. I grabbed a pillow, blanket and tried his bed... I felt like I was Goldie Locks... This bed is too Small! So I hit the trusted backup... The family room couch!!!

The 5

1. Ocean's 13 - I watched that last night and it was not bad at all. Of course since it was borrowed from the library the price was perfect. It was far better then 12, but about the same as 11...
2. Schedule - Well I am trying to get on a schedule, but I am just not a schedule type of guy. I have tried and failed in the past, but I am giving it another shot... At least until I fall on my face again...
3. Sleep - Not Here... Just as 3yo gets settled again the baby will be here and we will be sleep deprived once again.
   
4. February Fast Approaching - Soon, very soon we will see a new little person entering our lives. Everyday I just hope that everything will be alright and we will have a happy healthy baby...
5. Spelling - 7yo has spelling tests each week and he actually now takes a more difficult test each week. He could have done this earlier, but unless you push him he seems to take the easier route. Funny thing is he has done just fine on the more difficult lists. A liitle prodding goes a long way...

Daily Observation: Cold, Dry, Crisp Air at 8:00 am is AWFUL!

Slip Sliding Away...

I have been playing with a few video editing programs so here is a video of the boys playing on summer vacation...

Oh Ficus Tree Oh Ficus Tree!!!

Over the weekend not only did we move the kids around we put up all the holiday lights. We have this Ficus tree in the corner near our back sliding door that was just shouting out for some decoration. So we have a lighted Ficus tree in the house. I Plan on taking a bunch of pictures and will post them when I have a bit more time. The keys with all the decorations for us this year had to do with getting them down New Years weekend. Nothing outside needs a ladder and everything can be taken down solo since the wife will be ready to pop... The outside is simple, but I plan to do a few things this summer to allow us to go a little more crazy outside. Plus 7yo is just starting to get into the helping mode so I might have a helper for better or worse next season. The outside is me and the inside is the wife. I do have to say I have pretty much had it with the lights this year. I had four strings only lighting up 1/2 of the string and another that was not sure if it wanted to stay lit. I tried everything with the non working strings to finally just give up... The cost vs. aggravation is not worth it.

The Tree was the exciting part for the boys. Mom put out "Safe Ornaments" for them to put up and left the fragile ones for me. The big thing was getting them to spread them out. We have so many ornaments that we had to actually not put some on. All the basic generic decorations stayed in the box. Soon there will be presents under the tree and little boys getting really excited.





The 5

1. Devin Hester - After watching the Bears game yesterday I am so amazed at how good he is. 1 Punt return for a TD and 1 Kickoff for a TD. You would think Denver would have decided to kick away from him after the first. It is just fun to watch him...75 Yard Punt Return & 88 Yard Kick Return...
2. cre8Buzz - Well I have found another social community thanks to my friend James. http://www.cre8buzz.com. Be Seen...Be Heard...Be Found... Have a look!
3. Tough Cold - I have a nice cold going on 8 Days. Not bad enough to put me out, but enough to be really annoying. The cough is the worst part... Hopefully I will get over this sooner rather then later. Not going down hill which is a good thing.
4. 3 Yo Settled - 3yo seems to be settled into the move. He went to bed without a peep and could not wait. Last night he had the best night sleep he has had in a very long time. Maybe sharing a room is good for him...
5. Preschool - 3yo missed going to class last week with the holidays. He LOVES going to school and seeing his friends. If it were up to him he would go EVERYDAY!!! He can not wait!!! Tomorrow he is back at school.
   

Friends Wedding in Miami...

A little video done on a Canon Powershot A550 Camera with Video... A little editing and music to go with it...

Pictures of the Room Move

The Big Move and the Nursery...

Well the day after Thanksgiving has always been used as a final get things done day before the Winter Holidays. Typically we use it as a day to decorate for Christmas, but this year we used it to move the boys around and set up the nursery. We have 3 upstairs bedrooms, a lower level den and a finished basement with a bedroom. Well the den is my office and 7 yo is not ready for a basement bedroom. So we put 7yo and 3yo in the bigger bedroom upstairs and made 3yo's room into the nursery. We had actually purchased a loft bed and trundle/bunk bed a while ago before one of our losses. 7yo has been in the loft and 3yo has been on the lower bed in his own room. The move was actually rather uneventful with both boys rather excited about the whole thing. Under the loft with the 3yo we made it his Car Movie Cave... Stickers and posters all around. Last night was a bit difficult to get them settled, but in the end they were happy. The biggest issue was the toys and what went where. I picked up two 5 drawer plastic towers and they were both able to fill one with toys. A few other things were kept upstairs in the closet, but most everything else moved to the finished basement bedroom my wife now calls the toy closet.
Once the baby is ready for a big bed in a couple years then the oldest will get the smaller room and the two younger will share. Then once the oldest is ready for it he can have the basement bedroom along with free reign of the rest of the basement in the 450 Square Foot Apartment. The good thing is that being about 4 years apart each by the time middle son is ready for the basement oldest will be in collage. This makes the move around thing rather easy.

Getting the nursery ready brought back some good and bad memories, but was fun putting up the new crib. 3yo destroyed the old crib by kicking and kicking and kicking the side. We are still missing part of the Winnie the Pooh Mobile... Have no idea where it ended up. It is strange seeing the crib set up and the older boys together.

The 5

1. Sharing Rooms - At first I thought there might be some turmoil with the switch, but they both seem to like the other sharing the room. And by the time they are sick of sharing there with be a switch with different sharing.
2. Toys - Where to put all these "Wonderful Toys?" We have some really nice toys, but at the same time the boys have so many junk toys from parties, The Pizza Rat and of course the Giant Yellow M I have been slowly "Losing Some"
   
3. Decorations - How do you decorate a room for a 7yo Star Wars Fan and a 3yo Car Fan??? Currently the room is a bit busy, but I think it actually has some life and character with it. Stars and Cars...
4. Double Trouble - With them sharing the room I have a feeling they will begin to get into trouble a bit more often TOGETHER as the realize two heads are better then one.
5. Fight The Light - We set the 3yo up with his own light under the trundle, but he still wants the overhead light on. Hopefully we can get him to live with just the one. If not 7yo will become good at sleeping with the lights one.

Turkey Day...

The last few days have been a blur of colds, cooking and moving kids rooms... So I will start slow and finish with other posts about the last few days. 3yo and I have been fighting major chest and head colds causing us to be tired and grumpy. With hosting Thanksgiving on the horizon I had to suck it up and get some sleep so much of my online activities were cut very short.

So...

Thursday we had my parents, one grandmother and my younger brother over for dinner. This year I used a new roaster for the turkey and it worked perfectly. The turkey was moist and came right off the bone. I had also for the first time had the correct amount of food out. Typically I follow my other grandmothers tradition of double the amount of food. The only issue was the pumpkin pie... I had picked up a Pumpkin and French Silk Pie, but had thought the Pumpkin was a cut and serve pie like the chocolate pie... Well I was WRONG!!! After further review I needed to bake it.
Dinner

• Turkey Slow Roasted
• Gravy with Garlic, Tomato and Pesto
• Cranberry Sauce (Organic Trader Joe's)
• Green Beans (Brought by my mother)
• Stuffing (Brought by my mother)
• Cornbread with a hint of cinnamon
• Bread Sticks with Motz Cheese
• White Wine (Trader Joe's)
• French Silk Pie
• Pumpkin Pie (Much Later)

I did not do potatoes this year since we already had so much food. If we had a bigger crowd I would have done Mashed and Sweet Potatoes, but they were not missed with the food that was already there.

The 5

1. Turkey - Slow Roasted Turkey falling off the bone was really good! Even my dad who is not the biggest Turkey fan enjoyed it...
2. White Wine - I have found that Trader Joe's has some wonderful INEXPENSIVE wines and I have yet to have a bad one. The White wine was really good.
3. Gravy - The wife complained last year that the gravy was rather plain. I did not make it from scratch for many reasons and this year had no plans of making it from scratch. I did the store bought thing, but added Red Wine, Pesto, Dried Tomatoes and Garlic. Turned out GREAT!!! Just enough kick without covering up the Turkey and Stuffing flavors.
4. French Silk Pie - Mmmmmmmmmmmmm
5. Cornbread - My 7yo was so excited about the cornbread. I decided to add a hint of cinnamon, but this apparently was the wrong thing for him. The bread was fantastic, but Sir Picky did not appreciate the addition.

Daily Observation: Taking Cold Medicine can cause drowsiness... No it makes you pass out!

Miami Slide Show...

Back From Miami with a Cold...

Our trip to Miami was pretty nice, if not a bit rushed. We left Friday afternoon for the airport leaving the kids behind us. This was difficult, but at the same time a bit nice. The flight was fine for what it was considering I dislike travel now. Most of the trip was smooth, but I will leave the issue for The 5...

A View From Our Hotel on the Beach...















A View Down The Beach...















It was nice to be away for a few days, but in the end we missed the boys...

The trip back was not so pleasant as we just made our flight back, the flight was sitting on the runway for an hour and I ended up with a monster head and chest cold by Sunday night. The joys of traveling.

The 5 (The Complaints)

1. Air Travel - What a pain in the backside. I traveled quite a bit in my old work life, but it just seems now to be such a pain. From the delays, security and of course the uncomfortable flights packed in like cattle.
2. Rental Car Stink - Our rental from AVIS actually smelled like a skunk died in the trunk. I still need to complain to the rental company as well as orbitz. I was going to complain when we returned it, but with us having difficulties getting back to the airport running very late I did not have the chance... Plus I did not get to fill up so I am going to get screwed on thw 1/4 tank I used in the POS Impala...
3. The High Cost of Security - Well since we are unable to pack food to bring on the flight we are forced to gather more food at the airport. Well traveling with a wife that is pregnant gives us very little options for timing and eating. Nothing like spending $25.00 for two sandwiches and a bottle of water. THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE WATER FOUNTAIN!!! $3.00 for a bottle of water!!! That translates to nearly $25.00 a GALLON!!!
   
4. The Biggest Costs - Our number one expense other the the flight and room was PARKING! I think I spent nearly $40.00 on parking for the two days. Granted I could have tried to park in the streets of Miami at night, but in a few areas I would have probably been mugged!
5. Port Security and Late Entry - The wedding was on a cruise ship docked in the Port of Miami. We had visitor passes and were supposed to be on board by about 11:00 so we could tour the ship and the wedding party could get ready. Well the whole thing was a joke from security not having any non sailing visitor on the entry list to the boarding more then an hour late. Wedding was supposed to be at 12:00 it did not start until 1:00 and we had to leave at 1:30 to barely make our flight home... It would have been nice to take the cruise, but the wife is too pregnant and is not allowed to cruise. Heck she can only fly for a few more weeks.

Daily Observation... Traveling is a pain!!!

Videos and Slide show coming...

The Bat Mobiel, Upset Tummy and another day...

Well this morning we needed to head to the store and do a few errands. We timed it to be gone when the cleaning lady comes. (Yes we have a service... Since I do work too and the wife is Pregnant it is really needed) We had a few food items to get at the local Meijer Store and I promised we would look at Cars for Christmas Ideas for the 3yo. This would turn out to be interesting and entertaining. Back on Monday at the Car Museum 3yo saw the Bat Mobil from the old campy Adam West TV series. It was one of the few things that made him happy. On the way out they had a few ORIGINAL HotWheels Bat Mobiles is their packages and he flipped... Well those are not something I would buy at $45.00!!! He was bummed out, but not for a car going to be played with all the time. As we began looking at the toys he was having a blast looking at all the things he wants for Christmas. As we turned up the Car Aisle he saw it... "THE BAT MOBILE" 2007 edition of the original TV car!!! I thought for a second he was going to stop breathing he was so excited to see it... Well I could not let this joy end so I broke down and spent the $ .97 for the car. He has held on to it all day... I then decided to look for something that the 7yo would like for a dollar, but had no luck. I tried and tried, but he likes action figures, Legos and Video games... Not even some Green Army Men for $1.00...

After we did a few other errands we stopped and got some McDonalds. Well just after I got the bag in the car he he began to complain his tummy hurt... Oh No! We started driving home and he was upset about his tummy... Got home and put him on the potty and nothing. The rest of the afternoon he spent upset and complaining about his tummy. He was sitting with me for hours and he finally passed out on the couch for a short while. Tonight he is snuggled up to mom while she watches Tivoed TV...

7yo and feeling left out...
Well I try to be FAIR with the kids, but they do not need to get everything the other gets. I would not have bought a car today if it was not for the fact it was the Bat Mobile and was something he just saw. Lunch was because we had to be out of the house. Well 7yo was unhappy his brother got a toy and French Fries. We tried to explain to him that his brother does not get things he does all the time too. With all the extra stuff he does like Football, Swimming as well as going to Six Flags with me and getting dinner out after he should not feel he is treated unfairly. Lately he has been a little bit about ME ME ME, but I know with 3yo becoming more vocal and doing things and the baby coming it is hard to be the big kid... Next week when he is off from school I plan on doing some things just for him...

The 5

1. Merge Already! - There is nothing like slowing down to let someone merge into traffic to have the stop DEAD... the traffic was flowing smoothly and would have had now problems with the car merging... However partway into the merge they STOPPED!!! I finally had to honk and wave frantically to get them to FINISH the merge... So much for being a nice guy.
2. Bat Mobile - I have to admit the Hot Wheels car is REALLY cool. Does the loop in the race track well too...
3. Walgreens Wait - I needed to pick up a prescription after dinner for the wife. Well I get there and wait in line inside knowing the wife did not give them the new insurance. Well over 30 minutes passes before I get attention being the SECOND person in line. The cars were backed up around the building outside and about 10 people were waiting at the counter. Note to Self... GO MUCH LATER!!!
4. Literacy Help - Well I got a call today after my visit with the volunteer person yesterday. I am going to get certified to be an instructor in the Literacy Program at the local college. I will be able to tutor people as well as help run classes. A good way to give back...
5. Senior Help - I also got a call from the Senior Assistant Center after my visit yesterday. I am on a list to help with household chores and moving. Everything from lawns to gutters to basic household repairs... Help where Help is needed...
   

Monday Morning Field Trip...

Mondays are always really tough. With 7yo back at school, mom at work and preschool not until Tuesday 3yo becomes really difficult to deal with. So the plan was to go do something fun for the morning so the rest of the day would be a bit easier to deal with. Today's adventure... VOLO AUTO MUSEUM.

Since 3yo is such a car fanatic we thought going and looking at tons of cars and trucks would be a blast. Unfortunately that was a wrong assumption. We got there and he was pretty excited, but in his normal Monday morning mood. Well the ticket booth and entrance to the museum are through the "GIFT SHOP" which is a really stupid place to START the tour. If they want to do it at the end that is fine, but having to deal with a car fanatic that is cranky looking at dozens of OVER PRICED cars unreal! We finally made it into the museum and not 3 minutes in he said... "This is horrible I want to go home!" Great... I made him walk through the whole place and he did get excited about some cars between complaints. Then the real kicker! We went to their military display which is inside and looks like a bunker. There are trucks, troops and cannons going off with flashes of light!!! This scared the snot out of him...

Overall we spent an hour there and he does have good taste... He liked a bunch of 60's Corvettes that are actually for sale. Range... Mid to upper $60's

The rest of the day was a typical Monday with 3yo complaining about just about everything. The day was also much longer since mom had a late meeting...

The 5

1. Complaints before Thank You - 7yo has been a bit of a handful again with dinner. Tonight he asked for lemonade, but apparently I filled the glass too high. Needless to say we had a bit of an issue with complaining again.
2. Couch Nap - 3yo was over tired and would not nap. He finally passed out on the couch for 45 minutes when he was tired of demanding things.
3. Few More Days - Until we go to Miami... I don't like flying, but the trip will be nice.
   
4. New Video Card - Well I have a new used video card and it makes a big difference. It is not a super game model, but it does a good job for what I need.
5. Kids Holiday Shopping - I am pretty much done with shopping for the kids. If I find a few more Car Movie Cars we will be golden!

The Yard Work Ends...

With the weather beginning to turn and every weekend booked from this point on I had to finish up all the outside chores and winterize everything. Saturday was going to be the one day with rain forecast for Saturday night.

Saturday.

• Final Grass Cutting - I did the final grass clipping as well as bagged it and the few leaves we get in the yard. It was not really that long, but from this point on it will not be doing much.
• Last Cut Backs - The last of the flowers had bloomed this past week so it was time to cut some stuff back. Unfortunately I was attacked back by the rose bushes as I attempted to clean those up... OUCH!
• Yard Lighting - I had some solar spots that I killed with the lawn mower over the summer. I finally got the replacements and set those up just in time for the winter.
• Sand Box - The toys are cleaned out and put away for the season
• Play Set - The Final Day of play was Saturday. Next year there will be some major changes so it was the last the boys would play on it the way it is.
• Outdoor Furniture - The patio set was put away and the shed locked for the winter. Hidden away until next spring.
• Laundry Monster Conquered - Had the last bit of laundry done by Saturday Morning. That was nice to get finished up.

Sunday

• Furniture Cleaning - I got out the steam cleaner attachment and cleaned all the furniture. Very time consuming.
• Weekend Normal House Chores - Done!
• Super Cool RaceTrack! - Made another cool race track with the added "BOOSTER" in the middle. Not only did the cars go down the stairs, but they got a boost of speed near the end sending them flying off a ramp! 3yo destroyed it before I could take some pictures.
• Football - Watched some of that while I worked around the house. Go BEARS...

7yo spent a ton of time playing with a neighbor boy as 3yo followed them around. When not playing with the big kids 3yo was attacking daddy and playing with mommy. The boys seemed to have a fun weekend.

The 5

1. Always 1 Short - Well many of my chores involved changing things. Well it seemed I was short 1 thing at every turn. 1 Battery, 1 Light bulb, 1 Furnace Filter... The day also seemed to be short a few hours.
2. Shopping the Contact Sport - Well today if not for me paying attention I would have been in multiple "Cart" crashes in the store. So many people look at the stuff on the shelves, but not what is ahead of them.
   
3. Proud Football Player - During the party Friday Night all the kids were given trophies and the head coach spoke about each player. My son despite starting out kind of overwhelmed ended up starting the last few games as safety getting 2 1/2 tackles as well as having -3 yards rushing. The safeties rarely got involved and he ran with the ball once without EVER practicing. Got hit the second he got the ball, but held on! I am proud of my little football player.
4. Miami Next Weekend - Wife and I are going to a wedding in Miami next weekend. My folks will be staying here with the boys. This marks only the second time we have been away from the boys overnight since 3yo was born.
5. Volunteering - On Tuesday morning I meet with a person from the United Way. I will soon be starting to give my time to different charities each week. I have been looking at getting away from the house and what better thing to do then help others.

Daily Observation: Two boys running around will eventually lead to a crash... "OUCH!"

A Better Day for 3yo and 7yo getting Sick...

Well last night was a really bad night. 3yo slept terrible and I ended up losing my spot in the bed to him. At least the couch is comfortable. He was rather upset and frightened so it was hard to have him settle. Well this morning he had PreSchool and after I let him take a long nap. He slept for 2 and a half hours and was a much happier boy after. This made the night much better other then the nearly 10:00 pm bedtime.

Before bed last night 7yo had a bit of a cough. It has not gotten too much worse, but he is also over tired. Hopefully a few good nights sleep will help clear the cough up. This weekend he will also need to take it a bit easy and get some rest...

The 5

1. Customer Service - It seems that many companies take their current customers for granted. After being a loyal customer for more then 10 years I have hit a brick wall with an issues with my DVR from DirecTv. Will have to push it a little harder the next few days.
2. Football Party - I helped coach my 7yo's football team this summer and fall and we have one last get together Friday after school. Bowling and Pizza... Granted my son does not eat pizza, but is excited to go see the team again.
3. Sleep - The lack of sleep and the stress of the DVR thing and of course the pregnant wife has caused me to stress out just a little. Maybe I can get a little rest this weekend to help even the stress out a bit.
4. Why Do I Watch This Again? - CSI Miami that is... Or CSI JUMP the Shark! The show is over acted and since when did scientists become action stars in gunfights... Hey and one got shot in the head and is fine! Put On Those Shades!!!
5. Graphics Card - I got a used card from a friend that is a BIG step above what I had, but nothing close to what is out there. For my needs it is fantastic... More games play and movies I watch can get some nice color adjustments... Cool!

Daily Observation: When you are tired some things seem important and others just go right over your head...

What an At Home Dad Does During the Day...

Another 5:00 AM wake up call...

The all too familiar sound at an all too familiar time broke the silence of the morning once again. I just hope the baby sleeps better. I have one that won't eat, but sleeps like a log and one that won't sleep, but eats pretty well for a 3yo. With my luck # 3 will not sleep or eat well.

Today was preschool and of course 3yo was extremely excited. As usual he had a blast and would love to go every day. With his attitude after class I would not mind him going all week. With his lack of sleep at night and no real naps he has been a handful.

The 5

1. Not Fast Enough - There is not a single day that goes by without some "Crazy Hurried, thoughtless idiot" thinking the speed limit is not fast enough. Again this morning someone passed me like a bat out of hell and promptly turned less then one mile further up the road. For what... 5 seconds?
2. Race Tracks - They are a constant joy and frustration for 3yo and me. He loves to race his cars, but also loves to destroy what I have made. Fix, Break, Repeat...
3. 25th Anniversary GI JOES - The little action figures from my youth have made a come back. New and improved, yet the same as I remember! Might have to get some for my sons...
4. Rocky Does Death Wish! - Well it appears Stallone is going to remake the classic movie "Death Wish" that stared Charles Bronson... Does it really need to be remade?
5. Turkey Decor - 3yo has a dislike for a Turkey Basket we have on a table. Every day he tells me he does not like it and it needs to be moved. Hmmmm

Daily Observation: Lac of Sleep and too much Stress make people a bit cranky!

Another Monday To Forget...

The darkness of the morning was calm and cool. The silence was broken by that familiar voice. Mama, DaDa??? You come play with me? As I roll over I notice the red glow of the clock... 5:00! The time change sent him for a loop the day before, but his little internal clock woke him at the same time which is now one hour earlier. As I attempted in vein to get him to go back to bed it became clear I was fighting a losing battle. So another day starts extra early...Not just any day, but MONDAY!

After getting up early I was able to get lunches packed, beds made and a little time for me to eat. 3yo was a little tired by 7:00 and I knew the day was going to be a fun one. 7yo was on the bus not even one minute when 3yo started asking for him to come back as well as his mom. Monday is extremely hard on him... He enjoys being with everyone and when school and work start he feels lost.

We had to do a few errands which included picking up a Roaster and Turkey from the local Meijer on Special. By the roaster and get a Turkey and Carving Knife for Free. Worked out fantastic!

Upon arriving home the meltdowns began. I could not get even two minutes without 3yo throwing a fit and getting in my face. He threw things, yelled and demanded things left and right. The rest of the day was a true challenge for me and to top it off the wife had a Dr appoint this evening making the day that much longer.

Tomorrow I will be doing the 5 x 3 Two on here and 1 on Quirkee.com...

Continuing the household purge...

This weekend market the continuation of the purge and reorganization prior to the baby coming.
Saturday
The wife needed her FLU shot so we decided to continue on from there and do some shopping at IKEA for the boys rooms. The drive there of course was "Wonderful" with so many courteous people on the road. Once we arrived at the "Mecca or Ready To Assemble" we had the joy of dealing with crowds and a very cranky 3yo. He was a complete stinker the entire time and made the trip rather difficult. We found the Dresser for 7yo we had wanted as well as the new crib. 3yo destroyed the old crib just prior to moving to a big bed.

Finally Lunch!
I had packed the boys some sandwiches and snacks for lunch since they would not eat anything on the road other the Fries. The wife and I had Panera for lunch and that hit the SPOT!!!!

Evening Assembly.
After dinner I began the task of putting the new dresser together so the upstairs smelled of prefab furniture. Once built it actually is not a bad piece. It has plenty of room for all his clothes and then some.

Sunday
Moved the little dresser out and the new much bigger one in. Now 7yo has a place for all his cloths and his extra dresser is not in our walk in closet with Maternity Clothes in it.

Shopping and Purging.
I went to Old Navy for a couple pair of much needed long pants then did the weekly grocery shopping. The wife spent the time purging her part of the closet of more then a decade of collected clothes. I have been at her for years to go through things and now she has. 5 LARGE garbage bags of clothes and a Legal Paper Box of shoes ready for donations tomorrow. Not to mention the piles of trash. As we go it becomes almost an obsession... PURGE...PURGE...PURGE!!!!

New Car Seats!!!
7yo still has a year AND 30 pounds to go before he does not need a booster. We had converted his old car seat into just the booster, but it was a full back and he fits, but seems too old for it. So this morning while out I picked up a no back booster and he was very excited. He can now sit in any of the current open back seats in the van even the way back. I then but the converted booster back together for a four point system and moved 3yo to the other side of the van in his new (to him) car seat. This week I will convert the others in the wife's car as well as probably get a second no back booster. Last but not least I well need to set the smaller car seats up for the baby. 3yos are infant to like 40lbs... So begins the bus route!

The 5

1. IKEA - The Mecca of Ready to Assemble. For the most part I like a lot of the items, but yes I would prefer some solid wood furniture. Cost vs. use leaves the solid furniture at the nice stores. The store is always so crowded and there is just so much stuff to look at. So really nice and interesting, other stuff...Well kind of strange.
2. Growing Up Fast - With 7yo now moving to the back and being able to sit where he wants to makes me wonder what happened to the day of me putting him in his car seat...
3. PC Game Improvement - We 7yo has been getting rather good at the main Real Time Strategy game I have been playing. Now he is asking to play more complex games so I might have to dust off "Age of Mythology" Nice to have even more in common.
4. Time Change - Maybe just maybe the change will get 3yo onto some kind of schedule. He was so tired today maybe he will sleep the night and tomorrow night go to bed without a fuss.
5. Play Set - This year marks the end of the current play set in the back yard. The prefab junk is falling apart. I have some possible help in building a nice new one, but funding the project might be an issue. Especially trying to make it good for 3 boys nearly 8 years apart in the end. Planning Begins Now...
   

The Day After Halloween Hangover...

The excitement, adrenalin rush, sugar buzz and exercise all come together to create the ultimate high for kids. So much running around, candy and off course getting the life scared out of you makes for one amazing night. That night however is followed by the morning crash as the excitement wears off and the sugar is out of the system. That ultimate kiddie high becomes the ultimate Halloween Hangover. Both of my boys slept poorly which I am sure they are not alone. The morning was a challenge and the day long. As we waited for the school bus all the kids were walking around like zombies with tired eyes and sluggish walks. As the bus pulled up I could see the kids staring into space when they are normally talking, waving and having fun in the morning. After school the kids were a little short tempered and both of my boys fell asleep a little early.

Here we see my little Ghost and Dragon ready to go out and Trick Or Treat!



















The 5

1. Planning Thanksgiving - Now that Halloween is over it is time to begin planning my simple Thanksgiving Dinner. My folks, 95 Yo Grandmother and possibly my younger brother and his girlfriend will be here from my side. From the wife's side I am inviting her Mother, Mothers boyfriend, and two of here three younger brothers. Should be a good time.
2. Planning Christmas - My side does Christmas on Christmas eve and then we go to my folks Christmas Morning for breakfast. Wife's side is on the 23rd, but we have not been seeing eye to eye with her two sisters demands. Basically not inviting a bunch of the family. So I am inviting anyone to come over for Christmas Dinner. I will not ban anyone all the family is invited.
3. Warm Water - 3yo has decided the only water he likes to drink now is ROOM TEMPERATURE! If it was in the refrigerator or on ice he wants nothing to do with it. I have jugs of water all over so he gets what he wants... Warm water!
4. Play House - Lately many of the neighborhood kids have come to our house to play. Today including my two boys there were 5 running around ages 3-10. They had a blast which helped them all to fall asleep better tonight. Since it was still warm they could enjoy a possible final day of nice weather.
5. Being a little ignored - Some of the moms at Preschool that I did not meet last year have been giving me a bit of the cold shoulder. Sure they say hello, but beyond that I have been getting ignored. With the weather starting to turn it is more important to maintain the interaction and hopefully have some play dates.

Daily Observation: Being tired and talking to my younger brother that has a name that starts like my son can be frustrating for all. I called my younger brother my sons name no less then 6 time in about one minute!!!