New car

Much nicer than the other attempt. A little too nice for us. I am afraid we are gonna junk it up. It is pretty though and we all fit fairly well.
It is a blue Toyota Avalon. Much cooler than a van. It is not as roomy but great for driving around town. It was my Mom's. We are taking over payments on it. She got the new silver Avalon and Mike is driving the old red Sephia. Why he would want the Sephia over the Avalon I don't know. He is a little crazy but good hearted.

Big Girl Bed

Kay got her big girl bed. How did she grow up so fast? Taylor helped me assemble the new bed and Jeff took down the crib for the last time.

Kay has always been so good about going to bed when she is sleepy. She loves her crib and sometimes just hangs out in there when she wakes up. I thought she would probably be fine with her new bed but I worried that she might have a little trouble with the change.

Reading a bedtime story with Bub.

The first night she fell out once before she went to sleep. I heard her hit the floor then she said uh oh. I think she was just so used to the crib bars being there she flopped over too far. She got up one time and started to wander around the house. I walked her back to bed and said it's night night time you stay in bed and sleep unless it's an emergency. She fell out again around 3 am but the bed is so low to the floor she didn't even really wake up.

She has made the adjustment very well. She doesn't fall out anymore and she stays put. She is such a good girl.

Crazy Who hair.

It's standing strait up.

Bubble time. She slept really good after all this fun.

So much fun!

Cam's silly bubble face.

This is why the poor child needed a new bed. She was napping in the fireplace ashes.

Poor little Cinderella.

Painting fun

This is one part of the kitchen that is finished. We even replaced the light switch cover with a new brushed nickle finish that matched our faucet. The walls are pale yellow. The color is called Summer Wish. My Summer wish is to be done with painting.

Part of our tax return went to buying the rest of the paint we needed to finally finish painting the house. We have been here almost a year now and we still haven't finished the painting we started, we have done about half the house. We haven't hung any curtains and very few pictures. I think we keep expecting someone to come and tell us there has been a mistake we aren't allowed to live in this nice of a house and we have to get out.

Enough is enough already it is time to really settle in. So I have a giant never ending list of crap to do. I always do but now it has things on it like removing wallpaper, painting, hanging pictures and curtains. My list is 3 pages single spaced typed and some of the items on it are things like plan a birthday party for the boys and remodel the bathrooms. Really you could have a sub list of a dozen more things just under each of those.

First item was to finish painting the kitchen because it had already been started when we ran out of paint. Also we got one free can of paint in that color because the can sprung a leak while they were shaking it up. I figured I better use that first before it leaked all over eternity.

I thought it would take 2 or 3 days to paint the kitchen. It is not a very large kitchen. A week later we will still not be done. This is partly because I am a perfectionist and a little OCD. I decided all the interior surfaces needed to be painted as well. Even way back in the recesses of the cabinets were no one will ever look again. It just had to be. So a week extra and another gallon of paint purchased and it will still not be finished. So glad we get an awesome discount at Ace.

This is one of the weird places Kay likes to store half eaten bananas but it also is a good before shot of the hardware and color of the drawers and cabinets. I think this barn type hardware was used in every home built in our area in the 50's. It is very hard to keep clean because it tarnishes and it has lots of dimples to gather dirt. So happy to see them go.

Here are my practical real life painting tips:

Start from the top. That way if you start to fall off of your ladder you can still catch yourself on the unpainted lower section of wall without getting covered in paint.

Paint the most visible section first. You will really feel you have accomplished something and if you poop out before finishing the rest you will still have a nice section to look at.

It is easy to poop out. Painting is not fun after about 30 minutes and trust me it will take a lot longer than 30 minutes to finish even a small project. Just keep going. Eventually you will run out of things to paint.

This is very important. Only work in one room at a time. It may seem to make sense to tape off all the rooms and paint all the trim at the same time but DO NOT attempt this. Several rooms in a shambles all at once is a sure fire free ticket to your nearest mental health institution. Just do one room. You will feel a sense of accomplishment when you totally finish a project. Also you need at least one safe room to escape to for sanity breaks. Try to keep one room neat and untouched so you can get away because Calgon won't help you.

Think you don't have enough kitchen cabinets? Start painting and you'll wish you had less.

The kitchen is the hardest room because it has so many surfaces. Also you can't totally keep people out of it. We all gotta eat. so you have visitors the entire time you are working. Be well rested before you start this project because you won't get much sleep once you start.

You learn interesting things about your house while painting. You find past paint colors hidden away in little seen areas. Our kitchen has been at least orange, grey, slate blue, and puce in the past. The old kitchen flooring was linoleum tiles that were black with rainbow flecks. The stove was once gas and the water heater was once in the area that is now the pantry. Someone put in new counter tops and in the process buried one of those old fashioned slide out wooden cutting boards. I have fun trying to imagine what all those colors and features looked like when they were together.

Painting is much harder when you have a 2 year old climbing on your back. See if grandma wants to play.

The phone will always ring or a child will need something when your hands are hopelessly covered in paint.

The room you are painting, no matter which room it is, will become a kid magnet. It will suddenly for some inexplicable reason become the most fascinating place on the planet. Be prepared.

Most importantly. Pick a color you love. If you don't love it lie because I am never painting again.

Technology - a sticker that can zap you in the butt

I have been going to physical therapy for my back. I usually have to bring at least one child with me to the appointment. Because I have small children in the room I usually don't get to use the E stem machine which is sad because I love the E stem machine. If you have ever used one you understand.

I am not willing to risk being alone in a room with two, two year olds who like to push buttons while I am hooked up to a machine that is electrically stimulating the muscles in my back. I am afraid they would have too much fun shocking the snot out of me.

They have this cool new doo dad that is really fun though. They stick this big sticker on your butt that has a little battery built in. Then you go on about your business and the sticker zaps you in the butt and sends medicine into your bloodstream through your skin. How did I not know about this amazing device? How have I lived without it this long?

The silver lining to having an army of ants taking over your house - they eat termites.

Jeff says I have a sickeningly optimistic personality. I tend to point out the good things that happen as a result of the bad things that happen. This weeks subject-Ants. They are everywhere. Every sink, every room, on the ceiling. They fall on you, they climb on your food and late at night when its real quiet you can hear them laughing at you. Nothing we tried discouraged the never ending influx. We put out traps, we sprayed all the doors and windows inside and out, we sprayed the entire yard. I finally said enough, we need to call in some professional help. The exterminator type not the psychiatrist type. Although we could probably use both.

When the man came out to spray I told him they had even built a nest in the interior side of the door frame that goes to the back yard. "Um, ants don't do that" he says. So I take him in the back and show him. "Well, those may be ants but that is a termite nest. Ants eat termites."

So the ants are annoying but they may have eaten enough termites to keep the damage to a minimum. Even so they found 4 active termite colonies just in the back yard. So now we have to have the whole termite treatment done. The lowest bid we found was 1,100. What can you do but pay up and hope they don't eat your entire house.

Hurt back

I hurt my back at work April 20th. I thought I would be OK so I kept working through the 24th (I had a few days off during that time) but it continued to get worse. I will be out of work for at least two weeks. The x-rays look OK so it should just be a muscle strain. No lifting allowed.

It's spring start cleaning!

It's that time of year. The weather is getting nice outside. I have been cleaning everything and getting the yard all nice. We still have so many leaves covering the yard. The flowers are starting to bloom. Everything is getting green. I love playing outside with the kids.

The azaleas are blooming.

Cam and his slinky.

Kay blowing on the pinwheel.

Happy girl.

I like this picture because it looks like the ball is hovering.

I don't know what these flowers are. They are kinda like honeysuckle but purple.

The bees are really liking them too. They are so pretty though.

Cam kicks the ball.

Cam contemplating his bandage

Kay kicks the ball.

Kay digging in the flower pots. Getting dirty is her favorite outside activity.

Cam on the slide.

Kay on the slide.

In the bouncer.

Kay and Maddison out for a walk.

The first peonies bloom.

BBQ at our place

We had a BBQ for Sarah and Taylor's birthdays. We hadn't had a party since Christmas because the weather has been so bad. It was nice to have everyone over again.

Singing happy birthday.

Checking out the cake.

Kay, Grandma, Courtney, and Sarah singing.

Blowing out the candles together.

YUM!

Taxes, Unions and working in a prison or a combat zone

We went and did our taxes today. That is always so fun. When they typed in my employer number it showed up as a military base so she started asking me if I spent any time in active combat. Well, it depends on the day but, no I do not work for the military.

Anyway, we should get our return in the next week or so. We plan to use it for house repairs and for a down payment on a used car and hopefully a swing set for the kids.

I got a call from the OK health program this week. It is a benefit offered by the state where they set you up with a mentor to help you get healthy. It sounds like a good plan. When they called they thought I worked in a prison. Again, depends on the day but, no not officially.

I am so glad I joined the union. I had a mediation session set up with the director of HR and the big boss at work to settle the problems with the payroll error they made. Because I am in the union they provide representation to help me with the process. All I wanted to accomplish was getting them to admit they handled the situation incorrectly and make sure they don't do this to anyone else in the future. I did not make the mistake, they did, and they continued to make it worse by not following the proper procedures to make it right. The union rep called the HR Director and she apologised and said I didn't do anything wrong. She said it was over and they wouldn't pursue it any further. They used some of my accrued leave to pay back the money. That is fine with me because I can't get a day off anyway unless someone dies or I get hurt. All that leave will just sit there till doomsday or it expires. You think I am gonna get a vacation any time soon? HA!

Birthdays AKA What!? Taylor can't be 15.

The kids with Taylor's cake.

Kay enjoying Daddy's cake.

Jeff had his 36th on March 29th and Taylor had his 15th on April 6th. Yep that's right I said 15th. How the heck did that happen? Taylor can't possibly be 15. I am not that old. He will be able to start driving soon. Ahhhh!

We had a quiet celebration at home. I made a cake then had to go to work. Taylor got to go see the superhero movie with his Grandma. We are going to do a double birthday for Cam and Tay later when it is nicer weather. Taylor is a pretty awesome 15 year old.

Jeff on his birthday.

Kay likes cupcakes.

Cam does too.

The cake for Taylor that Cam decorated. It has a giant fake candle on top.

Living large like a VIP theatre event

The grand entrance.


Danielle is the manager of the new Warren's theatre in Moore and Russ manages the restaurants. They have been working hard to get the theatre and restaurant up and running. They had a family and friends night before the opening to train the new employees and make sure everything was working. We were able to attend and it was lots of fun. We were able to see a movie, have drinks and popcorn and play in the arcade all for free. We also went on a tour of the building. I took some pictures before I found out only the press is allowed to do that. Oops, sorry. I will just pretend I am with the press and share my pics anyway. I am writing a good report and I don't plan to steal the theatres designs.

Dad and Kay on the motorcycle game.

Taylor enjoys a game of pinball.

Cam and Grandma liked Ms. Pac-Man.

The theatre rooms are amazing. The picture and sound are the best quality and the decor is beautiful. Everything is art deco and velvet curtains and ushers opening the door for you. It feels like you are attending a special fancy event. The seats are the same design as the bucket seats in a Ford Mustang and very comfy and spacious.

If you really want a special treat you can see a movie from the balcony. They have a bar and a restaurant up there and can deliver your food and drinks right to your seat so you can dine without missing any of your movie. The seats are extra big and heated or cooled at the push of a button. Some of the seats are couches so you can snuggle extra close with your sweetie. It is 21 to enter so you won't have anyone crying or kicking the back of your seat. Well, unless the adults start doing that.

The restrooms are very spacious and have plenty of room for changing babies or fixing your hair and makeup, depending on your priorities. They have a fireplace and sitting area near the restrooms so if you have to wait for someone you can do it in style. The entire building is very spacious so you don't feel boxed in even when it is very busy.

The downstairs restaurant is very yummy and affordable. We fed the whole gang (family of 5) for about 25 bucks. The kids really liked the jukebox. The kids also thought the popcorn station in the snack area was cool. They have flavoring stations set up so you can add your own seasonings to your corn.

Everything was very clean in the restrooms, restaurants and theatre. They have an army of employees sweeping and polishing. Awesome place and lots of fun. We plan to visit again soon.