God Provides

It has been one of those weeks here.

Erik's car ran into some trouble last Saturday, so he had to take it in to get looked at. 5 days later, we are still one one car. Which of course he needs to drive to work every day. 

So the kids and I have just been at home, doing our thing, with weather that hasn't really been warm enough for us to do much outside.

During this time we were kind of stressed/nervous about what kind of expensive repairs the car might need.

Erik's also had a busy week, with guitar lessons, meetings, and extra work he's been trying to get done.

And 3 of us have colds. The kids are coughing and stuffy, and I am stuffy and just run down.

Last night Erik had to take care of some errands after school, and then had to leave shortly after 6 to go back for a parent meeting in the evening. I was supposed to be at choir practice but wasn't able to go. It was one of those days where we were both stressed and exhausted and just didn't have time to be nice to each other.

And it was just one of those days when I felt like everything was crazy, we both couldn't believe it was only Wednesday, and so on, and so forth.

Later I felt the need to just sit down and STOP. To close my eyes and pray. To listen to what God had to say to me.

As soon as I did that, all kinds of thanks came pouring out of my mouth.

As it turns out, we owe a fairly small amount to fix the car.
Thank you, God, for giving us help with the cost.

Even if we HAD needed to pay the full $1500+ to fix it, we wouldn't have gone bankrupt in doing it.
Thank you, God, that we have a pretty reliable income.

It was a long day without much time at all to spend with my husband.
Thank you, God, for the lessons and projects that allow Erik to bring home a little extra money.

The day was busy and noisy.
Thank you, God, for the opportunity to babysit and allow my kids to have a playdate while getting extra money to save toward a family vacation.

We are almost out of eggs and we need them and no one has time to get to the store.
Thank you, God, for a friend that called and offered to pick up some things for me.

We are over our grocery budget for the month. There are 10 more days to go and we are almost out of toilet paper, coffee, and other essentials.
Thank you, God, that we have extra in the budget each month to meet our needs. That even if we are  over budget, things are not so tight that we have to put back things in our grocery cart.

There are always dishes to be done and counters to clean up.
Thank you, God, for my dishwasher. My kitchen. The comforts of being able to make healthy meals at home.

We are feeling a little sick.
Thank you, God, that we are only dealing with colds. Thank you that we can afford to buy medicine. Thank you that we have excellent and affordable medical coverage when we need it.

We are stuck at home.
Thank you, God, that I have so much quality time available to spend with my children. Thank you for the break from running around doing errands and other things that are not fun anyway.

I wanted some rest and alone time.
Thank you, God, that my kids still want to play with me and love being in my company.

God just kept telling me over and over, "Don't you see? I have provided for you. Everything around you is a gift from me. Everything in your life comes from me. I love you, my grace is sufficient for you, and I will provide everything you need. I have provided for you."

It's not often that I feel like I hear something from God. Probably because it's also not often that I give him the space to speak to me. But suddenly I was humbled, and overwhelmed, and reminded of how incredibly blessed we are. We have so, so much. Unbelievably much. More than we deserve. 

"But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."                                                                                                                              
                                                     --Philippians 4:19

Bye Bye, March!

Wow, look at my fabulous postings for March. Not only have I not written anything, I have barely taken any photos. In fact, this month I have taken fewer photos than in any previous month since Alex has been born. Can you tell March has totally kicked us in the butt?

It started off well. My mom and brother Mike were able to come spend a week with us. Let me ask you, if you had a week of vacation, would you choose to spend it at our house? I'm not sure it was as relaxing as a true vacation would be. I think my brother left realizing that he and Susan are NOT ready for kids yet! But seriously, we had a great time. Mike and I ran in the Shiver by the River 5K in Reading, which was his first race. We enjoyed running through showers and a flood warning! Every night, we stayed up late playing games together. We truly loved having them here, and it was sort of like a mini-vacation for us, a little break in routine. We had so much fun that the day they left we were EXHAUSTED and pretty much became couch potatoes for a day.

And 2 days later, Erik got sick. We thought it was just a cold, but was something else -- the flu, maybe? -- that lasted over 2 weeks! He is just now starting to feel better, but really, after 18 days, is not completely normal yet. He has been existing in this cloud of exhaustion,and with a sore throat, trying to make it through school, trying to come home and be with the family, in the midst of leading guitar ensemble and teaching private lessons. It has just been way too much. I, fortunately, just got a cold which didn't last too long. I am feeling pretty good.

We are always slightly on edge with budget cuts looming in Erik's school. 5 teachers in his district have already been cut, with the threat of 10-15 more coming soon. We are fairly confident that his job is safe, but there are no guarantees. And it looks like this stress will continue in the coming years, as we keep hearing that Pennsylvania's school budget crisis is far from over.

My half marathon is 10 days away. I think I'm ready, I've certainly put in lots and lots of training. I am not at all confident that I'll beat my previous time, due to the fact that I've slowed down a bit lately and have been training more on the treadmill and not outside as much as I was in the fall. But still, I'll have 2 half marathons under my belt, and that's pretty cool.

So we are done, done, DONE, with March, winter, sickness, all of it! We are SO ready for spring, outside time, parks, and sunshine. I'm hoping that April is much, much better for us!

And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive!

-- Holly

In the Bleak Midwinter

Blah, blah, blah. January.

It's cold. It's gray. The sidewalks are icy, so I am stuck on the treadmill. The boys want to go to the park, but it's covered in snow. Erik has to leave for work in the dark every morning, not to mention the cold (yesterday it was ZERO when he left).

I'm just feeling sluggish. Dragging myself out of bed in the morning, trudging through the day, wiped out at night. For no reason, really, other than it's winter. I need some good outside time.

Thomas has been a handful the past couple of days, but with good reason. I noticed that he has a new molar in the back of his mouth! His gums are very red and swollen, too, so it looks like another one is on its way. I hope they break through soon for both our sanity. I feel bad for him, because I know he's uncomfortable, but it can still be hard to be patient.

Thomas is starting to listen to books more, and is particularly in love with one called "Do You Know New?" He continues to say more and more words every day.

Alex is doing very well and is usually a delight to be around. He loves singing and dancing around to his favorite songs -- lately, it's "All Day and All of the Night" by the Kinks and "Heaven is a Place on Earth" by Belinda Carlisle. (I know, interesting choices). He is working on learning to count to 100. He uses a chart I have hanging on the refrigerator. He does well once I remind him of the first number in each row.

We are all healthy and doing well in general, just longing for refreshment and change. The bleakness of winter is dragging us down. Hoping our friend the groundhog sees an early spring!

And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive!

-- Holly

November Ups and Downs

I have been meaning to get a post in for a while now, but November has been a pretty crazy month, with highlights swinging from the very, very fun to the beyond miserable.

First, fun . . .

The month started with a visit from Nana (yay!) that we always enjoy. The best part was that she was here over my birthday. Erik and I got in some date time on the Saturday before my birthday -- lunch at El Serrano (my favorite Mexican restaurant), followed by a rare opportunity to see a movie (Inception) and coffee at Borders. A great day!

On my actual birthday, I asked a friend to watch the boys for a few hours, and my mom and I got to have lunch and shopping by ourselves. We had a great time, and both thought it went way to quickly! We then came home and had pizza, and some delicious cake my mom made me. I got some fabulous presents (mostly running related stuff). Another fabulous day!

Now, the miserable . . .

We went to spend the day with Erik's family on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. We went to a Thanksgiving parade, which the boys really liked. (Okay, not the miserable part yet).


We then went back to the Schlosser's home to hang out and play games while the boys napped. Then, all of a sudden, I got a stomach virus. I have no idea where it came from, but it was awful. I spent all day in bed on Sunday and am thankful Erik was able to watch the boys. That was the first day since before Alex was born that I was sick enough to stay in bed all day. I couldn't stand up or even sit up for more than about a minute before I had to lie back down. Erik then got sick, of course, and had to stay home on Monday. We were both (sort of) functioning by Tuesday, and were ready to go to NY on Wednesday. We packed both boys up although their stomachs were borderline. And, despite our best intentions, we managed to share the virus with our NY family. :(

Another SUPER FUN thing for me . . .

I ran in a 5K in Corning on Thanksgiving morning. Erik offered to stay at home with the boys so my dad could drive me down and watch the race. It was about 35 degrees, I think, with snow flurries. You can see that waiting for the race to start, I was just a bit chilly.



My goal for this race was to finish in about 28 minutes. That in itself would have been a good improvement -- my time for the 5K I ran in April with Mark and Ken was almost 31 minutes. I ended up with a time of 26:57! You can see from this great picture my dad took that I was thrilled with the time. I LOVED this race, I think it was my favorite so far. It was such a fun experience!


And that was November. We are home, healthy, decorated for Christmas, and excited for all of the fun holiday stuff coming up.

And that's what's been happening on Boomerang Drive this month!

-- Holly

Kid Updates

It's been a while since I've just posted about what the boys are up to lately. So if you haven't seen them recently, here's what you've been missing . . .

ALEX: We have been TRYING for so long (2 years, really) to get Alex to play by himself, and it's always been a challenge. He wants one of us to play WITH him, all the time. Well, we are FINALLY seeing some improvement in this area. He has found something he likes to do by himself: workbook pages. We have 2 workbooks for him. One is a preschool workbook that has skills such as matching, colors, numbers, letter and sound recognition, and fun things like mazes and dot to dot puzzles. The other is a tracing workbook, and we have been working with him on how to hold a pencil and draw and trace lines. He loves sitting at the table and working on them. The only problem is that he is still sloppy with his coloring. Not because he can't color neatly, but because he just wants to get it done and move on to the next page.

He is quite the conversationalist. His new phrase is, "I want to tell you something." Then he follows with some random piece of information. He talks constantly and observes everything. If you're trying to have a conversation with another adult in the room and you think he's not listening, you're wrong. Nothing gets past him!

He has done a great job with potty training, and other than wearing a pullup at naptime and at night, he has been accident free for quite a long time. He continues to sleep from about 8pm-7am and takes a nap from 1-3. He has also moved up to the booster car seat.

THOMAS: Thomas is as cute as ever, but is exhausting lately. His favorite thing to do is to put objects into containers. This is fine when it involves picking toys up off of the living room floor and putting them back into their boxes. NOT fine when it involves putting his pacifiers into the garbage can. He is CONSTANTLY hiding and/or throwing away his pacifiers. We try to keep track of them, and it is becoming a full time job! Last week we had 5 pacifiers. This morning I can only find ONE. I have looked all over the house and can't figure it out. I have to hold onto that pacifier for dear life all day in fear that it will be lost and he won't be able to take a nap this afternoon.

He is doing very well with walking and now walks more than he crawls. He still has only 4 teeth, and is drooling constantly. When are more coming in??? He sleeps from about 7pm-6am and takes 2 naps: one from about 8:30-10:00am and one from 1-3 in the afternoon with Alex. He is nowhere near being able to give up the morning nap yet! By 8:30 am he is pretty much miserable.

Feeding him is another challenge. He is SO over baby food, but is very picky when it comes to finger foods. If you put something on his tray that he doesn't want, he immediately throws it. Or even if he likes the food, but is just tired of it and doesn't want any more, he throws it. He throws a LOT of food on the floor, and I am constantly cleaning up, cleaning up, cleaning up.

So I think that's pretty much it with the boys. Some good and some frustrating, as I'm sure it will be with every stage of life.

And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive!

-- Holly

Hold On to That Birthday Cake!

What you see below is a rare photo.


WHY is it a rare photo? Because Thomas is holding the food he was given (in this case, a waffle), smiling, and preparing to enjoy his meal.

What is he normally doing? Well, it goes something like this:

1. Put Thomas in the high chair.
2. Wrestle a bib on him.
3. Scramble to get the food ready as fast as you can because he's whining.
4. Give him a few pieces of table food (for example, strawberries).
5. Pick the strawberries up off of the floor.
6. Pick up the bib that Thomas has thrown on the floor. Don't even bother putting it
back on.
7. Try another food (for example, blueberries).
8. Pick the blueberries up off of the floor.
9. Try another food (for example, crackers). He eats them and whines for more.
10. Wonder why he already prefers junk food to real food.
11. Offer banana. This time he eats it.
12. Breathe a sigh of relief. Offer more banana.
13. Pick the banana up off of the floor.
14. Spoon feed him some baby food.
15. Keep spooning. Faster. Faster. Faster.

You can see my point. So the photo above is rare . . . although you WILL notice, he has no bib on, and his shirt is a mess. See #6 above.

My fear is that when we give him his little individual first birthday cake, he's going to pick it up and chuck it on the floor.

And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive today!

-- Holly

PBJK

I am typing this while you are watching the Superbowl. Ah, the joys of being cableless. Although if the Yankees have a good this year, we may have to spring for the $20 basic cable package.

The morning sickness continues. It has been challenging, because it is difficult for me to cook dinner, or even be around something cooking. After I smell food being prepared, the last thing I want to do is eat it. SO, we have been relying on some takeout food recently. It is so much easier for me to eat something that is just ready to go. Hopefully this will get better soon, because how many healthy fast food places can you name?

So today, we had some shopping to do, and decided to stop at Quiznos since they had a buy one get one free coupon in the paper. Well, you know how the coupons always say "Valid at participating locations only"? Have you ever been to a store that actually said, "Sorry, we're not participating in that coupon"? Well, welcome to the Lancaster Quiznos. They had a big sign up saying that they were not honoring the coupons. So we left. Could we afford to buy two subs? Of course. But it's a matter of principle.

Now, I am STARVING at this point. I had already had to pick up some trail mix at Target and eat it while walking through the store, before even paying for it. So I needed FOOD. I didn't have time to drive around. So we ended up at the closest place -- Five Guys Burgers and Fries. SUPER HEALTHY. This was my first time there and I give it my endorsement. YUM.

We had packed Alex a lunch, but gave him a few of our fries. And we gave him a little cup of ketchup. I taught him how to dip fries in ketchup (something every one year old should know), and he thinks it's really fun. So he ate his three fries. Then he proceeded to dip his pretzels in the ketchup. Then he dipped his sandwich in there! And ate it! And liked it! So he is the inventor of a new sandwich, the PBJK. That is, the Peanut Butter, Jelly, and Ketchup sandwich.

Wait, do you think HE is pregnant? That sounds like something only a pregnant woman would want to eat.

And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive this week!

-- Holly

Pregnancy Week 7

Thank you, thank you, thank you to those of you who called or emailed with concerns and well wishes after my last post. I am, in fact, still alive. I had a really rough few days last week, and am extremely thankful that my morning sickness has become a bit more under control. I have found that not letting myself get hungry (as in, stuffing my face all day long -- anyone want to be my fitness buddy in January 2010?) and staying hydrated helps some. I just can't get enough water. I drink over 100 ounces of water a day and am STILL thirsty. I am also exhausted most of the time, and am forced to summon my friends on Sesame Street to help me catch a break. So glad the library has kid videos!

Baby #2 is now the size of a blueberry. My first exam is next Tuesday, the 27th.

Alex is recovering from a super fun cold/cough thing. He's pretty much over it, but is still needing lots of rest. I have been challenged by him over the past few days, trying to teach him patience and getting him to understand that things are not going to be his way all the time. (HOW do you teach that to a one year old?) His food of choice lately is yogurt, and he really doesn't want much of anything else. Anyone have coupons for Yo Baby organic yogurt? Send them my way. Meal times have been a challenge lately. He is usually not in the mood for whatever I give him, and I end up giving him yogurt. Not sure at what point I stop giving in and say, eat it or don't eat. I looked in my big binder of parenting answers but it wasn't in there. :) By the way -- Alex is 17 months old -- this is the first month I didn't send out an email with pictures. I haven't taken any pictures since Christmas. I am turning into a slacker mom. I won't even begin to tell you about all my usual chores that just didn't get done this week.

And on that note, a bit of praise for my wonderful husband, who has been so helpful in taking the dogs for walks, taking care of Alex so I can rest, helping around the house, and just being so nice to me when I haven't been at my best. I am so fortunate to have a great husband and a great marriage.

So that's it, I guess . . . we are hanging in there, dreaming of those warm, sunny spring days ahead. I can't wait to get back to my daily hour long walks with Alex and the dogs, being able to just hop in the car without hats, coats, and mittens . . .

And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive this week!

-- Holly

My Morning

A recap of my super fun morning:

Wake up at 6am. Alex is already making noise, I am already nauseous. Eat a few bites of the Pop Tart that is next to my bed, waiting for me.

Get out of bed. Throw up.

Let the dogs out. Start getting Alex's breakfast ready. Throw up again.

Get Alex out of bed. Give him, his breakfast, try to keep down some cereal.

Alex stops eating and starts screaming. Ends up finishing breakfast on my lap. (He's teething AGAIN).

Get up from the table. Try to get Alex to play with toys. He won't do it. Ask him if he wants to go take a bath. He says, "Yeah."

After Alex is in the tub a few minutes, I realize I can't sit up any longer. I turn a towel into a pillow, lie down on the bathroom floor, and start to cry.

Get Alex out of the tub. Spend the next hour and a half reading to him while lying on the couch. He won't do anything but sit and read with me and whine. Will not play.

Make it close enough to nap time to justify putting him in bed. I begrudgingly get in the shower. My hair hasn't been washed in three days.

Collapse on the couch.

Hear Alex start to wake up. Quickly dry my hair, only because it's 19 degrees outside, not because I care.

Call my mom in tears asking her to tell me I'm not going to die.

And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive this wee.

-- Holly

We Need a Little Christmas

It is boring around here during the day. Exhibit A:


I try to come up with SOMETHING for Alex and I to do every day. A playdate. A trip to WalMart. Lunch and trains at Barnes and Noble. SOMETHING. So today, when my playdate canceled, we were left with nothing to do. I didn't need anything at the store, already had books and videos from the library, Christmas shopping done. And sometimes, it feels ridiculous to get in the car and drive 20 minutes to Lancaster and spend money on something you don't need, just for something to do. So today we decided to stay home.

Still, I can't sit in this house playing with toys on the floor from 10:15-2:00 (the time in between naps). It's just LONG. So we decided to go for a walk. It was cold, so of course we needed Alex's hat, coat, mittens, blanket, my hat and gloves. Plus of course my ipod, the dogs, and bags to clean up after them. Lots of gear required for a trek through the neighborhood. We left at 10:30 and were home at 11:15, chilled but invigorated. And then still, filling up almost 3 hours can be long, especially when Alex is in one of his moods (as he was today), when he will only play with a toy when it is sitting directly on my lap. That leaves me with very little options other than to sit and pretend to be fascinated by farm animals. It's fun for a few minutes, but can get to a person after a while. I even resorted to cleaning out the refrigerator today, just because I knew Alex would find it fascinating (which he did).

Which is probably why we ended up getting more for Alex for Christmas than we intended to. Because in reality, the presents are for US. Sanity savers. To give my day a little variety. It's bad enough that I have to listen to the same CD's and listen to the same books over and over again. But the same toys being pulled out day after day after day . . .

So next year, maybe we'll stick to a better system, so that Alex doesn't grow up expecting the entire inventory of Toys R Us to be handed to him each Christmas. But this year? A train table, trains, a drum, puzzles, and books should help shake things up a little around here for a while. Or at least until January.

And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive this week!

-- Holly

Too Many Dogs!

I have always adored my two dogs, Otis and Lucy. That is, until I started spending ALL DAY EVERY DAY with them. Now, there are some days they drive me nuts! Now, I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that the weather has not been nice, and they've been stuck inside for a few days. Believe me, it hasn't helped my mood, either. But still. . . They. Need. To. Stop.

Stop what, you might ask? Well, today it is Otis. It all starts at about 6 a.m. I take the dogs outside. Lucy is a good girl and goes to the bathroom. Otis pees on a couple of things, but really doesn't do what he needs to do. We come back inside. Otis starts whining. I let him out. He pees a few more times and stands by the door to come in. Alex and I go about our business, playing Duplos and whatnot, and Otis goes back to the door and whines again. This goes on ALL DAY. I know he would prefer a walk, but it's freezing and windy outside. And besides, if he REALLY needs to go to the bathroom, shouldn't he just GO? So now he is tied out in the back yard. Do you think he is using this opportunity to use nature's facilities? NO! He is just standing there barking at who knows what. Leaves, squirrels, the wind . . . he just stands there and barks. And barks. And barks.

So today Lucy is my favorite dog. But don't let her fool you. Many days I find myself telling her, "Lucy, you are going back to the pound." She eats food off Alex's tray, and has to be told over and over again to get down and leave him alone. She constantly licks him. When I am babysitting Jocelyn she will not leave her alone. She sees things outside and barks and barks and barks, and will not stop unless I physically pick her up and move her away from the window. When I take her out back, she darts after the first thing she sees, and I have to chase her across the neighbor's yard. Today she dragged a tube of toothpaste out of the trash. She eats your chapstick if you leave it lying around. And she chews holes in all of our throw blankets. ALL of them.

So today it's Otis, tomorrow it will be Lucy. You know you've had it when you find yourself lecturing a terrier.

And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive this week!

-- Holly

Sudden Flashback

Okay, does anyone remember what life was like for us, as a new family of three, last September? Let's see if I can refresh your memory. Alex crying most of the day. Barely sleeping. Never happy. Seemed uncomfortable all the time. Me, frustrated. Tired. Out of ideas. Erik, busy getting back into the swing of things at school, and coming home to a fussy baby and a wife at the end of her rope.

Well, although it hasn't been QUITE that bad around here, there are a few moments lately that have reminded me of that lovely time in our lives. Aside from months 0-3 being so difficult, I think month 13 is next in line for being my least favorite! This past week, my mom came to visit from North Carolina. Wow, did she pick the week to visit. Let's see . . . she arrived on Monday. Alex woke up on Monday morning with a fever. Seemed okay in the morning, but was getting worse as the day went on. Monday evening -- fever at 102.5. He was NOT happy.

Tuesday, we spent the (rainy, miserable) day inside, taking turns holding, rocking, and trying to soothe Alex the best we could. Somehow we made it through that day. Wednesday he seemed to be feeling better during the day, but had a terrible night, and we ended up taking him to the doctor at the end of a (long, miserable) Thursday morning. Of course, his illness was a virus, so there was nothing the doctor could do, except share with me the news that this would last for a fantastic TEN days. Yes, TEN. Oh, and don't give him any more Tylenol, she said, because he NEEDS the fever to fight off the infection.

Okay, so you're thinking, so what? All kids get viruses. It happens. No big deal. Well, you're probably right . . . but do those same kids also get 3 teeth in the same week they are sick? Yes, Alex's tooth count went from 9-12 this week, adding the bottom 2 molars and a bottom one in the front. So between the teething pain, plus the ulcers in the back of his throat, he could barely eat. What a week for mom to visit. I appreciated the help, though! All that whining would have been too much for one person to handle. We just kept reminding ourselves that he is only whining because he's sick, and he can't help it!

So it has been survival mode around here. I don't think I will be sending out my monthly pictures this time, because we've barely taken any. Oh, and I guess Alex hasn't felt well enough to work on his walking -- or he just thinks it's too hard -- he has made NO additional progress in the past 3 weeks. About 2-4 steps, and he gives up. Crawling is much faster, I guess.

That is an update on our fun week. I am hoping, as Alex feels better, we can have a lot more fun, and I can share pictures and cute, happy stories, instead of a zillion complaints. Keep your fingers crossed!

And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive this week!

-- Holly

EVIL MOLARS ATTACK

Breaking news:

Evil molars are invading Boomerang Drive. Two have already arrived on the top of Alexander's mouth, and their two cousins, the lower molars, are close behind.

These molars have been known to cause screaming, biting, headaches (for parents and child) and general fussiness.

Anyone with coping strategies please submit a comment!

And that, regretfully, is what's happening on Boomerang Drive this week!

-- Holly

Insane in the Brain . . .

The title is for those of you who are familiar with the Cypress Hill song . . . it is INSANE around here right now! Which, of course, is why I haven't posted in two weeks. For those of you who don't know, Erik and I were crazy enough to take on a variety of home improvement projects, with a determination to finish them before leaving for North Carolina on July 2. We have been working for 8 days straight, barely know what day it is, can't find ANYTHING in the mess that is our house . . .

We started last week by removing wainscoting in the dining room. We then had to remove leftover old wallpaper underneath the wainscoting, and Erik had to repair areas of the wall that were damaged. He then had to sand the walls over and over again because they were all bumpy from a combination of bad wallpaper and paint jobs. This sanding left our first floor majorly dusty. We then removed the carpet from the living room and dining room, leaving the first floor completely uninhabitable. We lived on takeout food for a few days, even for our morning coffee, because our kitchen was a nightmare. It was lots of fun confining Alexander's play time to the basement for a few days and preparing his meals in the laundry room. An absolute blast.

Of course, under the carpet, the subfloor had a nice mix of mold and other various smells, which took some time to get rid of. We got the floor nice and clean, ready to install the new Pergo flooring that has been sitting in the basement since November. Erik then started painting the kitchen/dining room area. He put up one coat of paint, and it looked really good. The next day, he opened up the second gallon to give the walls one more coat. Well, the second coat seemed really dark to me, but we thought maybe it just needed time to dry. As it turns out, the paint store messed up and it was the WRONG paint. So the whole thing needed to be redone. Erik did manage to get the paint finished, and it now looks great. We got the store to replace the paint, plus give us 2 free gallons and more rollers for the other projects we are planning on doing.

Erik and his dad worked for 2 days putting in the flooring. Erik then replaced the baseboard heaters and moulding. We have one more room to get done, the first floor bedroom. I have been working on removing 3 layers of wallpaper border. Tomorrow we are going to sand and paint the room, and this weekend Erik is going to put flooring in there too.

This whole process has been frustrating because whenever you think you're almost done, something goes wrong, and inevitably one of us has to make a trip to Lowe's or the paint store . . . a lot of wasted time. Plus, as soon as we redo one room and see how nice it is, we end up finding other things to put on our list. We still have a bathroom to do, but that can wait until later in the summer.

So, we will be spending the next few days working like crazy, so that when we return from visiting family in NC, we can come home and just CHILL. I have no idea what that feels like. It does NOT feel like summer vacation. We are SO tired. But it does look like we have a whole new house.

Of course, in the middle of all of this, Mr. Alex is cutting another tooth. LOTS of fun. His newest skill is pointing, and he likes to point at random things he sees, especially other babies. We think he is getting closer and closer to talking. He does say "mama" and "dada" but not necessarily with meaning. OH! Another skill -- dropping things. He has a lovely time dropping Cheerios off of his tray at mealtimes for the dogs. It's so funny, he picks up one Cheerio at a time, and very deliberately leans over the edge of his seat and drops it. NOT funny tonight when we were out to dinner -- there were no dogs there to clean it up. Also NOT funny when he drops his washcloth out of the bathtub and STANDS UP in the tub and tries to lean over and pick it up, almost falling out!

Okay, that was a LOT of rambling. PLEASE share the love and leave me a happy comment to take me away from this misery . . .

Tired of life on Boomerang Drive at the moment . . .

-- Holly

I LOVE peas!

Here is a video of Alex eating his dinner. He is usually good eating whatever we give him. However, once in a while he is in a bit of a bad mood, and certain foods just don't appeal to him. One thing's for sure -- if he is hungry, the food had better be ready! Don't even think of trying to give him a bite, and then take a bite of your own food for yourself -- that does NOT work!



We have been using Cheerios to buy us a few minutes before and after meals. They have been a huge hit. So we decided, why not try out some baby Goldfish crackers? Well, we now have to put a variety of snacks on his tray, because if it's just Cheerios he will not have it. That makes sense to me, too . . . those Goldfish are yummy!

And that's what's up on Boomerang Drive this week!

-- Holly

Clap Your Hands!

We are SO proud of our little man! He has learned how to clap his hands! Not only can he do this, but he actually understands you -- when you say "Alex, clap your hands," he does it! We are so excited to know that he is starting to understand some of the things we are saying to him.

It seems like every day with Alex is getting more and more fun. Now that he has 6 teeth, it seems like he is taking a little break -- FINALLY -- from teething, and he is much happier. He laughs out loud quite a bit. He is closer and closer to crawling each day. He enjoys playing independently with his toys -- at least for a while -- and loves being outside in the beautiful weather we've been having. He enjoyed spending an evening last week with the Schlosser grandparents this past week so mom and dad could enjoy an evening out. His Grandma Russell is visiting this week from North Carolina, and he's really looking forward to that.

So that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive this week!

--Holly

Just Me and Baby

So, Erik has been practically LIVING at school these past two weeks, because he is playing guitar for his high school's musical . . . the name of it escapes me . . . the one with the man eating plant and all those annoying songs. Anyway, I only get to see him for about an hour or two each day, so the rest of the time it is just me and Alex. Lots of quality bonding time, but it can be a LONG day entertaining a baby with such a SHORT attention span!

Alex has made a lot of progress as he is getting ready to turn 7 months old next week! He is now SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!!! He is also now on a pretty regular morning and afternoon nap schedule. Here's his day in a nutshell: Wake up at about 7:15. Drink a bottle. Play. Eat some cereal. Play more. (Oh, and go to the bathroom about 4 times in that time span. Seriously). 9:15-11:15 nap. Get up, play for a few minutes, have lunch (usually some type of chicken meal and vegetables). Then activity -- a walk in the stroller, trip to the grocery store, whatever. 1:15 have a little pre-nap bottle. 1:30-3:30 nap. 3:45 bottle. Play. Usually a little grumpy at this point. 5:30 dinner (usually the same type of thing as lunch). Then comes the fun part of mom trying to entertain him with any toys he isn't already bored of/any gimmicks that haven't already been used. Possibly a bath. 7:30 bottle and bed. 7:45 mom cleans the kitchen, gets the coffee set up and dad's lunch made for the next day, picks up the toys, checks email . . . then collapses on to the couch in complete exhaustion, ready to wake up again the next day.

The days go SO much better, and Alex is happier, when he has something interesting to do. He likes to be new places and see new things. The same old toys in the same old living room just do not cut it sometimes! Unfortunately we are a little bit landlocked because of his nap schedule. I try to get him out a little bit between naps and in the late afternoon if at all possible. I need SOMETHING interesting at the end of the day -- it is SO hard to get through the 3:30-7:30 part of the day without Erik home! It's a lot for baby to handle! Looking SO forward to Erik being home next week.


So that's what's up on Boomerang Drive this week!

--Holly

The Daily Grind

Today, I am thinking a lot about routine. Babies like routine. They need it to feel a sense of security. It comforts them. To me, however, the same thing day in and day out makes me feel a little bit like I'm in the movie Groundhog Day. As I'm finding myself thinking, "I cannot do this one more time," I thought I would stop to reflect on things I miss about my old routine, and the things I love about my new one.

So . . . what simple little things do I miss from my former life? Well, first of all, I REALLY miss waking up to my alarm clock and getting in the shower each morning before I have to face ANYONE. Just getting a shower and getting myself ready for the day on my own schedule is something that I would love to be able to do again.

Also, I miss getting into my car, drinking coffee, and listening to music on my way to school. I always loved that morning drive. It was time for me to just think, mentally prepare for the day, and just DRIVE. I hated the drive home, mind you, sitting in traffic after dealing with kids all day. But the morning drive was PERFECTION.

Finally, I miss getting into bed each night and going to sleep, knowing I could sleep until 6 am without interruption. It's just not the same going to bed not knowing what time I will be summoned to become the milk lady.

Now, what do I love about my new daily routine? Well, the best part of my day is getting Alex out of bed in the morning. He usually wakes up in a really good mood, and smiles at me when I come in. I either play a game of peekaboo with him, ducking down so he can't see me below the side of the crib, or I play the music on his crib toy for him. Then I pick him up and he hugs me. Pretty good morning routine!

Also, any time he wakes up, either in the morning or from a nap, I walk him downstairs. We slowly and quietly walk around the house as he adjusts to being awake. Then, we will see one of the dogs, and he will have a HUGE smile on his face. He just loves those dogs so much.

So, the whole groundhog Day thing? I won't even go into the parts of my daily routine that are currently driving me insane with their monotony. Although it seems like each day will last forever at times, I know that as soon as I get used to things, they will change again. At least I HAVE a routine now, and my life is not the chaos it was five months ago! Five months from now, I'm sure Alex will be sleeping through the night until 8am and bringing me breakfast in bed, right?

So that's what's up on Boomerang Drive today!

--Holly