Naptime Nuttiness

Hi All,
Naps are getting a bit unpredictable around here. The new found freedom of Drew's toddler bed doesn't help. Some days, naps just don't happen. Other days, we end up with a heavenly three hour nap. Some days, it's just plain nutty! And here are Bree and Drew to prove it....

Drew was opposed to the whole idea of a nap. But given a bit of quiet time in his room, he did manage to pass out on the floor.

Bree, on the other hand, felt the need to stretch out on Mom and Dad's bed to get her into sleep mode.

But hey, who am I to complain - at least they are napping!

Opposing Forces

Hi All,
Well, here she is again! My little queen of organization, hard at work on the jello boxes. Think I can get her to work on my cupboard space next? And, how is it so impossible to keep our house in order with this organizational angel at hand?

According to Newton - for every force, there is an equal and opposite force. In our case, that is Drew! Take a look at his handiwork, also from this evening.....

This is his idea of fun, so who am I to question it?

Papa's Day

Hi All,
We have a tradition of picking a day to visit with Papa the week of Fathers Day. We enjoyed a fun day with Papa and Grandma today as our very own Papa's Day.

A few gifts for Papa

 

And a little bit of mischief to go along with it!

Just minding my own business, really!

Is this a winning smile or what?!?

An explanation as to why all breakables have been removed from the white dresser...

Not Again

Hi All,
We have more sad news on our furry friend front. Blanca went to the vet two weeks ago, because she had dropped a few pounds. The vet said overall she looked thin, but was not dehydrated and otherwise in good shape. So, perhaps we just needed to feed her more. We asked to run some blood work to rule out other causes. What it showed was that Blanca has the same kidney failure issue that we went through with Cue a year ago. Blanca is nine years old and still on the young side for this (just like Cue). So, how is this happening again?!? Unlike Cue, the vet said it appeared from the numbers that we caught Blanca's issues closer to the onset. (Unfortunately, symptoms do not appear until 70% of the kidney function is gone.) That being said, she was probably looking at living another 1 - 3 years on a special diet. We started the diet immediately, and I was relieved that she liked her new food. But the relief was temporary. A few days ago, Blanca stopped eating and was drinking less. So it was back to the vet for her yesterday. This time we received more dire news. From a blood test, Blanca's numbers have skyrocketed in the past two weeks and the disease is progressing quickly. The vet said they could get her rehydrated and see if that gives her a boost to get back on track. But the vet really didn't have much in the way of encouraging words for us. We'll call today to check on her progress with her fluid therapy, and see what the vet thinks about moving forward.
On a separate but related note, we also found out recently that Riley has a torn ACL. We are in a waiting period to see if it can heal on it's own, with some decreased activity. If not, it will be surgery for her.
No more bad luck in the pet department please; we've had our share!

Meijer Gardens - Play Date!

Hi All,
We joined some twin friends and their families for a Meijer Gardens play date.

What does it mean when all of the other kids there are in frame for this picture, sitting and listening quietly to the storyteller, while your kid is standing with her back to the reader? Meanwhile, the other is missing from the frame completely, off finding new adventures?

I'll choose to believe reading books just isn't their thing while enjoying the great outdoors. For instance, they could be getting down and dirty in the sand! This looks all too much like exactly what we do at home. But everyone was thoroughly enjoying it, so we'll allow it. :)

My girl dreaming up her next sandcastle

Brushing down the rock quarry

Nate and Brynn happy to be on sand duty

Big Shoes to Fill

Hi All,
One of the kids' favorite activities is clomping around the house in our shoes. I don't really understand the fascination, but I guess that's part of the fun of being a kid!

Dad's Day

Hi All,
We celebrated Fathers Day at home yesterday. Drew and Bree started the day with some gifts for Daddy.

Drew made a cool hand print to commemorate the day.

Bree was not in the mood to stick her hand in paint, but I think she promised to do one later. :)

Then, Jim had an exciting day on the lake. The fish were jumping and Jim caught one after another! Jim was pretty happy with his cooler of fish. Check out this haul! They made for an excellent dinner.

And for the last treat of the day, Dad gets to figure out how to get this monkey into bed.....