Adventures in Okanogan

The move is done. Complete. We are SLOWLY settling in, emphasis on the word slowly!

Our disastrous first couple of days here totally slowed down my usual "putting up house" progress but things are finally starting to take shape.

After too much time in doors, I decided the kids and I needed to tackle a project outside.  Just so happens we had just such a project.

Leaves....LOTS OF LEAVES!  (the house has been vacant since last summer so last years fall's tree dumpings had been left decomposing in the yard until now.)

These 10 bags are from the front yard alone!  The back took another 6 or so.

The boys LOVED this part.  The house we lived in before didn't have a tree in sight.  I'll admit we have really missed out on the whole fall time playing in the leaves thing.  I don't think that will be an issue as long as we are in this house.  :)

 We've already spent plenty of $$$ on home improvement stuff, finished our first project (drywalling an unfinished wall in our storage room), and I've hung the first (and only so far) item on the wall.  I can't wait until we actually close on the loan and I can start paining and replacing animal "marked" (aka soiled) carpets.  :)

I thought I would share a little walking tour of the house for those of you who are interested (and have been asking for one). Come on over to YouTube to view.
 

Mr.Golden Locks turns TWO!

I can't believe it.  First, that I am actually writing a blog post and two, that my baby just turned 2!  That's crazy.

And as my mom put it...."he's two...and you don't even have another one on the way....WOW!"

(Not for lack of trying...nature just has it's own way of doing things).

Anyhow....

His day was pretty, well, nondescript.  I have no excuses....okay, that's not true.

Excuse #1  We are moving in a week

Excuse #2  My entire house flooded the day before.

So...give the lady a break.

But...we had all the essentials.

Kian's favorite dinner...check.  Kian's favorite dessert....check.  Balloons....check.  Presents....check.  Happy Birthday song...check.  Monster trucks....check. What more could a kid want.  Nothing.  At least not this kid.

The kid didn't even eat dessert.  He was content to just play with his "karz".

 Here he is today during nap time...enjoying the pillow/sleeping bag bear Grandma and Grandpa H. gave him.

He was pretty excited to snuggle in with them.  :)

Happy Birthday Kiddo.  You are the "glue" and a true joy to our family (even if you are acting your age a lot right now).  

WE LOVE YOU BUDDY!

 

Tired as can be.

Poor tired kiddo.  You would think with daylight savings these kids would be sleeping in a little later.  Nope....not this one, anyway.  He woke up at 4:45AM (I was later informed by Rob) this particular morning (making it 3:45AM pre daylight savings time).  Poor thing was utterly exhausted by noon.

The kids had been watching a movie.  When it was over, I went looking for them.  I found them, minus Kian, playing in their bedroom.  "Where's Kian?"  "I don't know?"

I found him here.  As tuckered out as can be.  So...at first tried to gently wake him.  Then...I "tortured" him.  Mean mommy!



I think I may have found the culprit for the early morning escapades and the late night crying.  Molars!  Great! 

What happened to my baby?

Kian got himself ready to go play in the snow.

Kian is in an interesting position as the 4th boy.  I feel like he has grown up too fast.  Leaps and bounds faster than his older brothers did.

Not only does he want to DO everything that his older bros are doing, but he wants to SAY everything they are saying.   It very sad sometimes.  I often think...."What happened to my baby?  He's not old enough to be talking to me like this."

Some of his latest phrases crack me up...and scare me at the same time.  :)

Here are a few:
"Mooooooom" (and also, rarely, "Daaaaaaaaad") said in a "stop teasing me" embarrassed kinda way (he picked it up from Cael, who embarrasses easily).  He says it often...including EVERY time one drives over a rumble strip on the road.  Makes for pretty interesting...and sometimes annoying...traveling when you are headed to the middle of nowhere (which we have done a lot lately) on two lane roads that are full of them.   :)

"Da naw faya" (That's not fair)  Often times added to the above.  As in "Moooooom....da naw faya"

"Whyyyyyy?" not in a inquisitive sort of way...but a snotty teenager kinda way.  Enough said......scary!


Funny story.

Kian LOVES the water.  He always has....right from the beginning.  This weekend we stayed in a hotel with a pool.  The kids were dying to go swimming.  Especially Kian.  He has NO FEAR!  After a few minutes of watching his brothers jump off the edge into the water he wanted to do it too, with or without Rob and I there to catch him.  We had to keep a constant watch on him.  He would ask to be put up on the edge and then scurry off, as fast as possible, to try to jump off the edge before Rob or I could get to him.  Luckily we were able to keep up...no drowning.  When we finally had to leave the pool he cried for over 30 minutes.  Sobs racked his body and he kept wailing, "waer........Waer.........WAER!"  (water, Water, WATER).  Poor thing hadn't had a nap.  :)

We love our little Kian.  He's turned out to be just what we prayed for.  Yeah, I realize that I might have to eat those words one day....but for now....they are so true.

Shake, shake, shake....shake your booty

We used to dance a lot around here.  It doesn't happen nearly enough anymore.  But...for some reason, on this particular morning, we let down our hair, dusted off our rusty bones and shook, shook, shook our booty's.

Here are a few snippets of Kian, Gabe and Isaac as proof.

And yes....the old Reebok Step is STILL the favorite dance platform (see bottom video).