News From the Home Front

So Brandon is officially halfway into his Thailand trip, and things here at home have been hoppin' since he left.  

The boys have one last swimming lesson tomorrow morning.  So far, this may have been the biggest waste of money since my upstairs curtains (another story for another time).  There are 8 lessons, at 30 minutes long each, about 30 minutes away from our house.  The boys spend about 25 of those minutes sitting on the first step of the pool.  Aidan has stuck his head underwater twice in the last 2 weeks.  Is it starting a negative precedent if we skip the last swim lesson?  I kind of have some laundry that needs to be done.  And a garage to clean.  

I have had a "project-a-day" that I have been doing around the house.  (Except for today.  Today's project was a nap).  I have cleaned and organized the pantry, laundry room, all bathrooms, guest room closet, linen closet, a dresser, and a couple of cabinets.  Paulo has been here for several days repairing some grout work, drywall, a broken cabinet, and refinishing our front door.  My mom was here all last weekend while I worked several days and she cleaned and sealed my entire kitchen floor and made about 5 calzones (pronounced cal-zoney) and some cookies.  My mom rocks.

In addition to the swim lessons, the boys have been enjoying Movie Wednesdays and a couple of trips to McDonalds.  Friday night, they are having a slumber party at the house with their friend Wilson.  Friday I am also working again, and Aunt Val and baby Joel will be coming to play for the day.  I have a Girls Night Out planned for that night, and Jib and his brother, Josh the Intern, will be coming over for a big boy party while we eating Mexican food and talking about shoes.

Did I say shoes?  I meant Jesus.  And politics and healthcare.  Because we are very deep people, the girls and I.

Dane (and sometimes Aidan) have been praying for Brandon while he is in Thailand nightly.  They are some pretty cute prayers.  They are missing their daddy.  I hear their mommy is missing him quite a bit, too.  Especially since Dane clogged the potty when he decided that half a roll of toilet paper was obviously necessary and I cannot for the life of me get it unclogged.

Dane has decided that NQUA is his best friend and thus needs a nickname.  So far he has come up with "And" and "NinjaAndy".  This is what Dane has been up to the last 8 days.  

Aidan has had an eventful week, as well.  Yesterday when I told him he could not use the downstairs potty, he opened the backdoor, and, while standing in the kitchen (on my spotless and newly sealed tile floor), peed on my backporch, directly onto the little wrought iron door mat.

For grandparents, and those of you who have forgotten what my children look like from my last picture post, this one is Dane:

And this one is Aidan (freshly shorn):

Have a great week!