Want to be my Neighbor?

Here are the requirements for applying:

Must love cookouts, while the kiddos run around crazy

Must love the fact that you will probably end up with a key to my house having access to come and go as you please.

Winters are usually spent with the kids out in the snow building forts and snowball fights

Spring/Summer is spent with water balloon fights, lemonade stands, sprinkler runs, and you might as well buy double the amount of popsicles that you normally buy as you will be sharing with lots of kids. Not to mention the fishing in the ponds!

Bunko is a blast and meets monthly!

We were given the opportunity to move to Denver a few months ago, and decided that life is just to good for our kids here.

Here are the current houses for sale in our neighborhood. You will share the same schools (which you can walk (most kids enjoy riding their bikes)to), which are AWESOME!!!!!


This one is located on a Cul-de-sac and the neighbors are great! The Nolekempers are wonderful - I would live next to them in a heartbeat! Looking for a cul-de-sac with a mix? You have families, and older couples living here too.



Not to sure about the neighbors on this one. I know there are some kids a few houses down that go to the catholic school. It has been vacant for awhile (I believe divorce)


Cute, hun?


My favorite one of all:


It's around the corner from us. Yes, on a Cul-de-sac!!




Susie, it has a front porch!!!!




Some of the neighbors I know are GREAT! There are lots of girls for sure around here! One boy that I know of that is 3. Another boy in the other direction just turned 4.



Um, hello?! A finished basement! Hmmmm.... Maybe I should send this to Sean and see if we can take it!!!!

Swine Flu Sucks

Sorry for the nasty language there but there are no nicer words for that pig! Davis is STILL down for the count. He has had 5 days of Tamiflu, 2 days of Zithromax (for the ears on top of it all) and has just not been able to catch a break. We ended up at Children's Mercy (The Children's Hospital here in Overland Park) as the kid hadn't gone to the bathroom in 24 hours. He is pretty dehydrated and still not eating, he will also have to start doing breathing treatments 3 times a day to hopefully help keep the pneumonia part away. Here's to hoping today will be a better day.

His ears are a horrible mess! As most of you know, last year we discovered he wasn't hearing properly (Bad mother again - I just thought I had a little devil on my hands) so we went through thousands of tests, drugs, all sorts of things and then had tubes put in and his Adenoids taken out. Well, 4 months later one tube fell out and had a huge infection that required going back to the ENT. The ENT said he wouldn't be surprised if it started all over again this fall.

Please say a few prayers that this is just a 'fluke' nasty ear infection and we are not going to be starting this process again. We have to make sure he is taking his Zyrtec, Singulair, Flonase, etc. as this is all caused mainly due to allergies (and yes, the organic, hates medicine person that I am is giving it all to him). We have had allergy testing done, we have done it all. The kid should probably live in a bubble - he would be a little safer. :o)

On another note. Can I just say that I have the best neighbors ever - I think I will post a few pictures that are for sale in the area - you really would love it here!!!

The Eppersons have been the best!!! Kailee has pretty much lived at their house since Sunday. Thank you so much!!!!! She comes home to sleep and get ready for school :o). Last night, she came home and had a little glassy look in her eyes. I reach for the thermometer and it was 99.7! AAACCCCKKKK!!!! She informed me I was over reacting and that she was totally fine. She felt fine. She fell asleep within 30 minutes of her getting home last night. I am hoping she wakes up this morning still feeling fine. This is my child that LOVES sleep and mellowness. I am hoping that just with the past 4 days of On-The-Go with friends it got to her and she just needed sleep. I don't think I can take Kailee getting this thing! Sean is out of town again next week and I believe I would be calling the Dr. for drugs for me - happy pills.

Jumpin' for fun...

So we just got back from the Doctor's where Davis has a ruptured ear and an infection in the other ear. The poor guy can not get a break! I had to wake him up to take him to see the Dr. and he is already back asleep on the couch. My heart is aching for a break... I need something fun!

I told you I had so much to share while we went for our trip to Lincoln and Denmark. How 'bout some jumping fun? After we had a pumpkin hunt, played some Gord Ball, and had a weenie roast (I promise to get those pics up soon). It was time to hit the trampoline!!!! I apologize for the quality of some of the pics, but it was just to much fun!!!!









So, you are thinking... Big deal, people jump on tramps everyday, right?! Nope not us! I don't think I have ever seen my (50 something) Mother jump on the tramp, especially when it calls for perfecting the 'BUTT JUMP'. You heard correctly. This was not just an afternoon on a tramp, but a challenge. A chance to work on skills, the ultimate... the BUTT JUMP. Now, there is probably some fancy jump term that it is called and what not, to us plain folk it is and will always be the BUTT JUMP. What is the BUTT JUMP? Simple. From your standing position on the tramp you jump down to your butt and right back to standing again without using hands or anything...The BUTT JUMP. Here is an example of what it is NOT:










Can you do the BUTT JUMP????

Randomness

Here are just a few of the random pictures I took while we were out at Farmer Marys:

Day 1...

The day started out fairly well this morning. Davis woke up feeling better (he always has to change first thing - heaven forbid he enjoy staying in his pjs). He put on his Darth Vader costume (that we surprised him with yesterday) and wanted to go outside. He was bummed no one was outside to play with him so he came right back in.

He enjoyed a few cartoons, some time on the computer and then it began. "Mom, can I play with Luke?" "Mom, can I go to school?" "I feel better Mom, I can go to school", yadda, yadda, yadda.

It was time to whip out the goods. I had the perfect time-consuming, huge mess making, activity ever...The GLUE GUN!

Now before you all go start calling SRS on me. Please remember this is a low-temp glue gun. (I remember using one for my wedding to glue balloons together!) I did have to show him not to touch the silver point where the glue comes out - once he touched it the first time, he got the message...



































I have to remember he really is a typical boy and anything that involves messes, 'tools', or fun gadgets he is there!

As you can probably tell, this isn't really a project I can set him up with and walk away to do something. But, it was worth it!!! We spent an Hour and forty-five minutes having a great time! I was impressed he was able to do his name. He only needed help with the letter 'S' as he kept telling me it was a 5.

I kept thinking that this Glue Gun really is awesome! I wonder if it will work on Kailee's patches for her Girl Scout Vest? Hmmmm...


After 2 hours, this is what he decided to do:





I guess he is still not up to 'speed'. Poor Guy! I think I might just go join him...After I clean up some craft sticks that is.

Happy Birthday, Amanda!!!!

Happy Birthday to a great friend...





Happy Birthday to a girl full of smiles and laughter...




Happy Birthday to a girl full of adventure...





Happy Birthday to a girl with a great sense of humor...





Happy Birthday to a great girl! May this be a year full of even more!

The Countdown Begins...

Sean is scheduled for another trip this week leaving in the morning and returning Friday night. Davis still has 5 more days of confinement before he can enter the world again, which means I get to go into confinement with him this week - AAACCCCKKKK!!!!

Have to say, I am pretty nervous about it as I don't think I have ever in my entire life spent 5 days in one place without having visitors, going someplace(I don't even have carpool for school this week - Oh, wait... I guess I will be able to get out to check the mail)!

Me, and my anal self, started to stress a little this afternoon after this realization. First, I had to make a quick Wal-Mart run for the 'necessities' for the week:






While walking around Wal-Mart I thought to myself, How am I going to keep this child entertained for the week?! Those that know Davis understand what I am saying. Davis is not your typical child that likes to sit and watch tv. Davis loves being outside, loves to play with friends, loves to run, jump, skip, and more! He does not sit still. Saturday, when his fever finally broke (Thank you Tamiflu) he couldn't stay in one place. Even though he still felt bad, he would sit on the couch, move to the floor, move to the couch, move to the chair, move to the couch, move to the table, move to the couch,...

So, how do I entertain this child for a week without killing him or myself? I had to do what I always do in these TAKE CHARGE, DRASTIC MEASURE Moments (Ann, you get it, right?!). I had to start my lists!!

Now when I get to this point, there are lists for everything.I had to try and think from every angle so I don't let my crazy, other side show. I had to make a list for myself of chores for the week, a list of things to do when the Boy goes crazy, a list of things to do when I go crazy, get the idea? Since I was still at Wal-Mart, I did pick up just a few things that looked fun:



Bath foam?! This should entertain him for a while!



Paints, Star Wars coloring book, AND... A COOL TEMP GLUE GUN!!!! I can see this entertaining him for hours on end!!!

Now, the lists (WARNING: May contain information that will overwhelm you. Please step away from the computer to breathe before returning):

My To-Do List while in hiding:
Sanitize Computers
Pay Bills and balance check book
Shine my sink
finish the 1,281.5 (there is one in the dryer now) loads of laundry (which includes folding and putting it away)
Sanitize doorknobs and light switches
Clean the Entryway (rug, scrub floor, mirror, baseboards,clean out closet, front door and porch)
Main Floor Bathroom ( rugs, floors, sanitize drawers/cabinets, toilet, baseboards, walls/door)
Kitchen (clean out fridge, microwave/stove/oven, sanitize cabinets & counter tops, scrub floor, find the dining table, wash windows, clean my desk)
Living Room (furniture, vacuum, baseboards, dusting, sanitize piano keys)
Class Room (walls/baseboards, sanitize desks, rearrange and organize stuff)
Family Room (Dust/Sanitize, baseboards/bookcases, pickup, clean tv, remotes, windows)
Davis' Room (sanitize dress, walls/switches, bedding, sanitize toys, closet, vacuum/dust)
Stairway (sanitize railing/baseboards)
Laundry Room (sanitize floor, wipe down washer/dryer)
Kids Bathroom ( wash rugs, scrub floor, sanitize cabinets/handles, toilet, tub, baseboards, walls/door/switches, sanitize/replace toothbrushes)
Van (vacuum, sanitize car seats/seats, dash/steering wheel, etc)
Our Bedroom (change bedding, closet, baseboards, floor/walls/switches)
Our Bathroom (rugs, cabinets/drawers - sanitize, shower & tub, floor, mirrors, baseboards, toilet, sanitize/replace toothbrushes)



A Starter List for when the Boy goes Crazy:

Paint the pumpkins
playdough
work on letters, numbers, schoolwork
coloring
crafts, projects (I can see it now - the glue gun and some craft sticks!)
computer
movies (yeah, right!)
play in the bathtub
make the biggest, bestest, fort ever!!!
help me paint the office
teach Davis to play GO FISH
work on tying shoes (almost got it...)


A Starter List of Things To Do When I Go Crazy:

drink? (HA HA HA - couldn't resist)
color my hair
work on the office
CALAGON?
Update the blog...
The kids' Christmas list done
Come up with new recipe ideas/menus
Read New Moon (that has been sitting on the counter starring at me the past couple of weeks and I have not touched)
Order the new Book Club pick
TREADMILL
Plan a birthday party for Davis
Make out Christmas lists (who to buy for, etc.)

This should help. I will print this out and post it on the fridge to remind me....

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