Lila Lu and Tater Too.

Playing Catch-Up

I'm back, I think for good. But we'll see. I'm still fighting a losing battle with a cranky kidney, but at least it's not bad enough to make life miserable. Just uncomfortable.

So, to catch up:

Brooke, Payton & Carter came to visit and we had so much fun.

 
Among other things, we went and saw the manatees at the power plant (they congregate there in the winter because the water released form cooling down the reactors is warm (and clean).

At the end of the week, we headed to Miami to meet up with John before they all flew back to Brazil and we headed back to Sarasota.

 

 

I'll be back.

I'm on a bit of an unintended blogging haitus lately.  December hit hard and fast with a kidney stone, surgery and then a lovely kidney infection. It was a rough month. I had a day or two of good health and then started coming down with a cold which rapidly turned into the flu - mabye & strep for sure. It was a rough 4 weeks for me.

Luckily my parents were here to help for the first few days, but since then it's fallen on Chris. He's been amazing, but we're all playing catch up. I'll be back in time.

An Early Christmas

Just a whole bunch of pictures from Grandma Dru & Poppa Buck visiting. Despite my kidney stones and subsequent surgery, we had a great time.

The grass is always greener.

A few years back, the golf course in our neighborhood was bought by a developer with the plans to build a new clubhouse, some condos and redo the actual course.  Months into the project, the developer filed for bankruptcy and the golf course has sat - ripped apart and growing weeds taller than the houses lining it, for probably 3 years now.

Realizing that there was nothing the county could or would do, our neighborhood took it upon themselves to do something about it. Saturday morning 'golf course parties' were organized, with anyone who could make it bringing out lawn mowers, weed whackers and man power to do away with the eyesore that was our old golf course. Neighbors donated money and hired men with bush-hogs to come out and go to town on the weeds.

A year or so later, the old golf course is looking pretty good. On our street, someone built a 'dock' and there is a bucket of food there to feed the fish in the small lake (retention pond). We took the kids and dogs over on Sunday afternoon, and I was amazed at how pretty it is now.

Halloween

Dressed for their Halloween parties at school:

 

Dressed up for the first night of Trick or Treating.

And finally, Trick or Treating on Halloween.

 

Awards & Pumpkins

This week Tate was given the Rrr'd award at school. It stands for being Respectful, Resourceful & Responsible. When I first asked him what he thought the award would be, he guessed a car. Despite it not being a car, he was certainly excited abou the pencil, eraser, silly bands & gift certificate for an ice cream sundae that he did get.

This week we also decorated pumpkins. I'm not a big fan of scooping guts & carving pumpkins, so we did the same as last year and made Mr. Potato Head pumpkins.

The Weekends

I feel like there are months that go by that we have sooo much time on the weekends. 2 days spreading out before us, with our choice of what we want to do. We go to the beach, see movies at the dollar theater and have friends over for dinner and dominoes.

This month, that is not the case. Soccer, birthday parties (one every Saturday this month) and other errands are keeping us a little busier than my laundry pile would like.

Not trying very hard...

I'd like to pretend I'm trying to keep up with the blog, but I'm really not trying that hard. On the one hand, I want to keep it up because it's a great 'scrapbook' of sorts...on the other hand, we are busy! I know, excuses, excuses.

Tate and Lila are both doing swim twice a week. Tate has soccer twice a week. Lila had soccer twice...and when she stood there and cried both times, we pulled her out. Maybe she's too young? Maybe soccer isnt' her thing? Who knows. But I wasn't going to waste an hour every Friday night standing there trying to bribe her into stepping onto the field. I think we'll give dance a try and wait another year or two on soccer.

We're halfway through "A birthday party every Saturday for a month".  Just two more to go and we'll be done. Add in work and school and sometimes, we even get to eat dinner together!

Happy Birthday Tate!

I can't believe he's 6 years old. At 6, he loves Star Wars, playing soccer, watching movies & swimming. He is the nicest, sweetest & most thoughtful boy you will ever meet. He's always worried about others' feelings, especially Lilas. He is a great friend and so, so funny.

We had a small dance party yesterday in his classroom and then a bigger pool 
party today at the house. We decided to do a joint party with his friend Abby who turned 6 back on Sept. 5th.

 

Air guitar.

 

The. Robot.

 

The Girls

They're all still here and doing fine, though getting older. Marley is especially starting to show her age.

Kaya is always underfoot, and you'll never forget because of the, uh, scent she omits every so often.

Keetah still rules the roost, though.