Surprises.

We are loving our new yard and fence, but are very sad that winter came so early. We still get out as much as possible, but we'll just have to wait until spring comes to fully enjoy it. Clayton surprised me the other day by giving me permission to use the back part of our yard as a small garden. Actually, he gave me a larger spot than I even wanted! Who is this man? So, I'll have a fun time gardening this spring, if I can get around because....

Well, just when you didn't think we had any surprises this year...our little baby surprised lots of family and friends. I am very happy about it and, though we planned it, still a little stunned. We were going to wait until next year, but something started nagging me in my mind. "Your 35, it said. If you wait, you'll be 37 when you have your third child and you won't have your body fully back until 38." It also said, "wouldn't it be so nice to have your family established and there won't be any large adjustments for a while after a new baby?" I also worried, though, that I wouldn't get to enjoy Audrey as much because a new baby would take over my time. So, I asked Clayton what he thought and he was happy with the idea that we could have our little family complete. So, we tried with the idea that if it didn't happen right way, we would wait so that the baby wouldn't be too young before I went back to work. He/She has great timing! I thought I was due May 25th, but I was a week later than I thought. So it looks more like June 1st. I hope the baby is born a little early this time so we can have a May baby. And, it wouldn't be terrible if I had to miss the last couple of days of school. I haven't told the head or principle of our school, yet. So if you know them, keep this under your hat for a while longer.

So here is a little look at our little surprise.

Fancy Chef

I just wanted to share a story and some cute photos from today. I have been pretty tired the last few weeks (even before the cool weather came our way). So, when an opportunity came to lay my head down for a few minutes, I took it! Audrey had just woke up from a three hour nap and Colin had encouraged her to play with him. I have kept the last two boxes that her diapers came in and he turned them into "boats" this morning. Flashback to this morning..."Mommy, look at our boats!" "Wow, Colin. Where are you going?" "We're going to....Jamaica!" "What do you know about Jamaica?" "It is warm there and there are sharks in the ocean." Seriously, what three year old knows such things? I LOVE his school and the children he is surrounded by.
Anyway, flashforward to this afternoon. So they were playing in the "boats" and I was laying down in another room close by. Colin was playing so well with Audrey and telling her to watch out because sharks might get her. It got very quiet for a few minutes and then he started saying something about animals. He had gone to get lots of stuffed animals to put in the boxes to make the play more creative, and comfy! I only knew this from listening because I couldn't hear them. I tuned out to what they were saying for a little while, but then I heard Colin say, "watch out the monsters are coming up the stairs!" Audrey didn't say anything. Then, Colin said,"you know Mommy is really a monster, don't you!? She really is." Then he went on to play with her and that was that. I just thought that was funny.
Later, we went to Target and I bought some dress up clothes for Audrey's school. I couldn't help dressing her up in them before giving them away. She is a pretty fancy chef! The feathers would just get in the way.

Weekend of work.

This is the last blog about the yard - I promise!! This past weekend my dad came down to bring us pumpkins and some cut cornstalks for decorations. We decided to go ahead and ask him to build our fence because our yard was complete. So, despite the off and on rain on Saturday, it is finished. Well, Clayton just has to attach the handle to the large gate and it will be done. He is also repairing the deck and will then give it a nice coat of new paint. We both decided that, after our beautiful brickwork was finished, it didn't look very nice. We did take the grill down and clean it off. This makes it look much nicer and it is roomy. So, enjoy these new photos. This was the set up on the drive pad. They had to "dog ear" each board before putting it up. My dad works HARD! This was one of his only breaks for the whole weekend. Clayton has a new respect for him, I think.

Okay, this is only the second break! Colin loves him. He was outside basically all weekend long - finding worms, playing with his trains on the sides of the fence, etc.

Privacy - ahhhh! Children can't get out! This is a new concept. I still can't be outside without getting nervous when they go towards the alley. I guess that will wear off eventually.

This is the adorable little picnic table my dad made for Colin's birthday. He took half the measurements of the one he made at home (his house) that we used for years. Both Colin and Audrey love it.

This is a funny look on Audrey's face. She was just eating and I caught her. She's not mad.

I couldn't get a good picture of them both together. They were spitting their milk out and laughing. I love our yard!

Clayton and my dad worked well into the evening to get the gates completed. This is at dusk and they are still hard at work.

What an amazing transition

This is what our yard looked like a little over a month ago. Granted, this picture looks worse than it actually did before the project began, but I was told not to do anything with the roses and weeds and the cement had been chopped up. We are so excited that we'll get to use this space and our entire yard more and in better ways. This is the after. Smooth. Clean. Not much clutter. I love having the roses on the other side of the yard and planted mums between them for some fall color. I hope they grow back next year. I might try to plant some tulip or something so that there will be something in bloom most of the year.

The roses are still there...you just can't see them because they have been lovingly pruned and their leaves were shed long ago.

Clayton and our little guys played on the nearly finished patio the other evening. I see us spending lots more time outside now! Now, if the rain can stop for the rest of the weekend, my dad, Clayton, and our friend John can put up the fence and gates. I'll post one photo of that and the adorable little children's picnic table my dad made for Colin's birthday. Maybe those will come tomorrow.

Finally, a Saturday morning out together!

As Clayton transitions back to days, he is staying awake longer in the mornings! Last night, he slept all night and wanted to go to the Botanical Garden this morning. He jogged there and we went in the car. If only we had a jogging stroller for two - I would have loved to join him! So, here are a few photos of us there this morning. For some reason they loaded backwards, but I guess you really don't know that!

This was near the end of our time there. Right after this photo was taken, Colin stepped in the water - with BOTH feet! It was a very wet ride home in the car.
On our way to see the giant Koi Fish.
This was the first time Audrey liked being on my shoulders. She would lean back and say, "Whoa! Whoa!" It was pretty funny.

I can't believe how much Audrey looks like a little girl in this picture. I was holding her and and we would both say, "step" before she took a step across to another cement block. She is getting so big!
One other short funny moment from today...

I was making pancake batter while Colin watched Clayton cut up melons on the other counter. He looked over and asked me what I was doing and after I answered him he said, and I quote, "well, good grief!" Clayton and I both burst out laughing. When I asked him where he learned that he said, "probably from you, Mommy, when Audrey made a mess." I don't think I've ever said that, but it might be true.

I'll post more photos of our yard soon. It is basically finished, but has a few small touches left. I just love it and can't wait to have it fenced in to feel secure.

I also added a video of Audrey - albeit sideways - watching the ducks and fish. Such a cutie!

Home is where the heart is...

Well, we have finally gotten into a good routine at home and at school. Unfortunately, the time at home feels so short. But I think the little time we share (save the morning these days) is quality time. Just look at how much Colin missed his sister below! It is interesting and wonderful to see the two of them meet and greet each other at the end of a school day. Audrey is ALWAYS happy to see Colin and, though he might not want to admit it, he is thrilled to see her, too.

Last night, we had our first Parents as Teachers visit. We signed up at the Festival of Nations at the end of last month. As it turns out, our educator lives the next block east on our street! She just walked right down and walked home. We really liked Mary, and so did the children. Colin even asked if she was going to visit again tonight. He is remembering so much more these days. It is like his teachers turned a light on in his little mind and he is able to do SO much. I've never listened to a preschooler with such a vocabulary, either. I think it is the fact that we devour books all day everyday!

Anyway, at the end of the session, there is always an activity. This visit was mostly for Audrey because Mary was only trained through two year olds (she'll be trained to five year olds by our next visit in November). We made this little pull basket that has a string attached with bells. Both Colin and Audrey drug this around this evening. Here are a few photos of that.

Can you see that Audrey has tactfully hidden her brush inside Dad's shoe? What a surprise he will have when he goes to work next if I forget it's there!

Also, I'm including a few pictures I took last week while our students were out at recess. This is the place I get to call home during the day. There are 22 chairs and we use them all at times. But, I only have ten third graders that are my main responsibility. It is a pretty cozy and welcoming room, I think.

The Yard Project Update

Growing up in northern Missouri, on a cattle farm in the middle of almost nowhere, I would have never pictured myself as a city girl. Even now, living in the city of Saint Louis, my heart is in the country. I'm proud to come from a small town where people really know how to treat each other and smile/wave even at strangers. I remember riding around with my parents and watching them nod or wave at the driver of an oncoming car/truck. When we went to the local grocery store or gas station, someone would always comment about how I looked like my dad or ask about our family. Even when I went to college and came back, people in Salisbury would acknowledge that I was Josh's sister (he was well known there, then). When we moved to this city, I vowed that I wouldn't let it change me. I had no idea that the people here would teach me a lesson - people in the city can be as welcoming as those in the country. Living on my block taught me that first - our wonderful neighbors! Joining the Soulard School community gave me my second look into friendly city folk. But, the saying is true..."You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl." I love Saint Louis and all that we can do here, give our children, and enjoy together. But, often I miss being able to go out of my house and just walk in peace and quiet for miles, if I want to, on a country road with the bird songs for my music. I miss going to the pond around dusk to listen to the frogs or watch the sun set behind a hill. Every time I go to my dad's house (my childhood home) I make a point to go outside on a clear night, if possible, to see the stars. I remember sitting outside on our deck with my parents, when they were married, and just listening to the night sounds and watching the stars. The city lights prevent me from enjoying the stars like that, but our yard project is coming along and soon I will be able to go outside and enjoy a wonderful yard (fenced in) with my children. So, here are pictures of its progress...

Colin loves to watch the men and their machines!

This is the new entrance to our basement.

We have wonderful/beautiful new retaining walls and steps.

Here is what the rose bed looked like this morning...
and what it looked like this afternoon! Don't worry, they will be back - just moved to the other side of the yard in a nice new garden area off our new patio.
Shortly after this photo was taken, Colin just HAD to cross the plank bridge. I know he really WANTED to get into the mud, but he resisited.

Then, later this evening Clayton, Colin, and Audrey had a feeding frenzy of watermelon on the kitchen floor. Not the ideal place, but Clayton had his reasons.