August 2014

August was the month of reality - slower summer days coming to an end as many things start ramping up again towards fall.  There were the parent orientation meeting and teacher home meeting for Samara's preschool, MOPS steering retreat for Amanda, a couple play dates and a birthday party for Samara to attend, the annual state fair trip to Grand Island, wrapping up swim lessons, work meetings for Amanda, a wedding open house for Amanda's cousin, a baby shower for friends and buying a house... wait, what?!  That is not part of our normal August routine!  After a couple years of considering buying a home to renovate and sell, Jeff started looking with more sincerity this summer and we finally found one in Ashland!  It definitely needs lots of work, so we know fall and winter will be filled with evenings and weekends of demo, repair and reconstruction.  After a meeting with the bank for financing options, meeting the real estate agent several times, inspecting the property, etc., we closed on the house at the end of the month.  First photos weren't really taken until September though, so stay tuned!

Kalum's moments and milestone for August:

• The ear infection that seemed to be going away in July came back and ended up being a dual ear infection, which required a 2nd different type of medicine to try and knock it out.  At two week re-check his ears were all better, but he still said "Ears sick. Don't touch."
• He really seems to be as much of a talker as Samara (I didn't think that was possible).  Says three words together often such as, I made it. Watch a movie. Ride in car. Race car climbing.  Also said "thanks" for the first time after working on it so much with him.  Actually said first four word phrase in early August, "cricker [cricket]! I goin get it." while crawling after jumping cricket.  And he got it, with his shoe - (sigh) boys!  Whenever he is hungry he'll say. "wunch.want wunch", apparently that his go-to feed me statement.
• Working in the basement during nap time on August 11th, I hear" downstairs!" from Kalum, and it was much too loud to be coming from his bed.  He has climbed out and is in hallway wanting to come downstairs.I put him back in bed and shut his door.  He gets right back out and laid down on floor by door, "mommy?... Mommy!" Then he got mad, very mad and in the end rested on the floor but made sure periodically that I knew he was there.  He went to bed fine that night, obviously exhausted from not napping!
• He wants to do everything just like Daddy and while Jeff was digging around shed Kalum wanted a small shovel to dig too.  He even put his foot up on top of shovel to push it into the ground.
• By the end of August we are into the "why?" phase hard core.  He asks "why?" when you tell him anything, repeatedly and also says "because" when you ask him a question.
• At night he wants two books read to him, "hungry pillar" (The Very Hungry Caterpillar) and "night trucks excavator" (Good Night Good Night Construction Site).  Then he will happily go to sleep in his big boy bed, that we had to convert to since he was getting out all the time, and hasn't been getting up at night.
• First burn - Samara insisted on having a chair by the stove to help me in dinner prep.  Kalum insisted in also climbing on the chair.  The stove was not on, but the oven was on underneath and it warms the back burners.  Despite numerous warnings, he reached out and touched it anyway.  We let him play with his hands in cold water and that felt better, gave motrin that night and the two finger tips blistered a little.  It's a tough lesson, but he really pays attention when you say something is hot now.

Samara's moments and milestone for August:

• We had our first non-family babysitter this month so that we could go to dinner and a StormChasers game with Buelts and Pennells.  The kids did just fine and Bailey said they were just fine to watch.  We had to ask what the "going rate" was since we haven't had to pay anyone to watch the kids as of yet!
• Samara is very into role-playing now.  "I'm Elsa and you be Anna"  She directs the playtime and acts it out.  Sometimes she plays "I'm the Mom and you're Samara".  It throws Kalum for a loop that's for sure, especially when she calls him by his character name, "Daddy".  I've even had to be a ninja turtle for an entire day!  My acting is dismal, just throwing in a cowabunga!,  totally awesome! or rad! into my conversations here and there and the occasional ninja-like move of course.
• Samara was so excited for her new preschool teacher to come visit!  They do a home visit a couple weeks prior to the school year and Samara basically showed her every room in the entire house.  She's looking forward to seeing all her friends at school, so we'll see how the longer days go on Fridays...
• Our first day of working on the house in Ashland was a quick Friday evening to pull out carpet.  Samara LOVED helping and directing us all while we worked.  She went on and on telling us we were doing good work, there was more to do, but it was almost done.  (If only she knew how much was really left to do!)  When we left to go get pizza for dinner, she didn't want to leave because she wasn't done sweeping.  We promised there would be plenty of chances to sweep dirt in the coming months.

More on the house in Ashland as long as the beginning of fall activities to come in September!