Tracey and the terrible, horrible no good very bad weekend

I guess I'm exaggerating a little, it really wasn't that bad of a weekend.  But to have your cell phone, refrigerator, dishwasher, and vaccuum cleaner bite the dust in one weekend sure didn't make my top ten list either.  To be fair, everything but my cell phone has been on it's last legs for awhile.  We were just hoping that they could magically repair themselves and last forever.  Then pizza would rain down from the sky and ice cream would grow on trees (and of course you could eat these forever without gaining a pound.) 

Do you know what I really hate?  Washing dishes by hand.  We even went out and bought a whole stack of paper plates and bowls to get us through until our new dishwasher is delivered.  It feels like such a necessity, even though I know generations survived without dishwashers (including the Shadles until a couple of years ago.) 

But our little Carter boy is feeling much better, which is all that really matters.

Well, got to go.  Looks like we're about to make somebody at the Home Depot really happy.

Under the weather

Today Carter woke up crabby and complaining of a back-ache.  A little later I noticed he was hot and sure enough he had a 100.7 degree fever under the arm.  Luckily motrin has been keeping it down, but during nap time it wore off  and he woke up with a temperature again.  Unfortunately it looks like our weekend plans are off, which is disappointing because I haven't seen my Dad's side of the family in awhile.  Oh and the worst part of this day?  I have watched way too much Curious George.  WAY.  TOO.  MUCH.  He has refused to watch anything else besides Curious George and Cars.  We also spent some time reading our library books today which also consisted of Curious George.  It looks like Elmo is totally out and Curious George is totally in.   

So far Ava has been totally good.  I did take her temperature at one point and it was 99 degrees.  I haven't given her any tylenol but it hasn't gone up from there.  She's just enjoying our Curious George marathon.  Hope your weekend has started out better than ours!

Farewell, dear friend

“Hunka Tin”

Goodbye trusty four door car, you’ve carried us a pleasant 110 thousand miles thus far.
But your radiator leaks and the AC sputters,
The brakes squeak and startup stutters.
Though it is our last day, we will cherish everything ‘Midnight Grey’.
While we move our separate ways we will always adore your unique VIN,
You’re a better car than most, Hunka Tin


Written by Mike Shadle, poet extraordinaire

We are.....

We are.......happy.  exhausted.  sweaty.  covered in dirt from the knees down.  ready for our naps.  thoroughly played out. 

We had a great morning playing at the indoor playground at Sharon Woods.  It was a thunderstormy morning but by lunch time the storms had moved out.   So we had a great picnik at a shelter and then played on the playground for awhile. 

Hmmm, notice anything different in those pictures?

Ikea

This morning we headed to Ikea.  Meme was in town and I needed to pick up something to decorate the shelf above our TV.  (You know the one that has been empty since December?)

Meme threw Ava into a bin of puppies.  She was in seventh heaven!

I thought Meme was going to insist that Ava go home with a stuffed puppy and I was going to have to throw a fit about NO MORE STUFFED ANIMALS!!!!!!

Ikea is a big place, and Carter walked most of the time.  Meme and I were browsing candles, vases and containers and then I looked up to see this.  So I, good mom that I am, told him not to move until I took his picture.  Then get off the floor because it is dirty!!!

And in case you were wondering I did get some candles for my shelf.  So now it is officially half-decorated.

Children's Museum and tidbits

Today we went to the Children's Museum for a Songs and Stories class and a little playtime.  The kids love the children's museum and always have a blast when we go (and take good naps afterward, which makes mommy happy!) 

Shopping Shadle style

The kids followed each other around pushing shopping carts.  If only they could be so helpful when we go to Kroger.

In Ava news:  she is slowly working her way up to walking.  Back in may she started taking 2-3 steps at a time and last night she was walking up a storm.  She was walking from room to room, changing directions and stopping and picking up toys.  But when we go places she still prefers to hold onto a hand or walker.

In Carter news:  he is coming up with new phrases that make us laugh every day.  Last night at dinner he was irritated because his sock had a hole in it.  So he reached under the table, pulled off his sock and threw it on the ground.  Then he told his sock to "rest in pieces."  Surely he picked that up from somewhere, but I have no idea where!  That kid is a character all right.

Iron claw

This week Carter gave Daddy his very first iron claw.  Like father like son.

IRON CLAW!

Also, Ava has recently been spotted with mysterious bite marks.  I think we may have a vampire on the loose, not that Carter would know anything about that.