Back to School

The send-off...
Auntie Jessica want back to college for one last semester today. We are really going to miss her. The boys LOVE her...we all do. She is so much fun. We are so proud of her, almost graduated from college. Good luck on your last semester, Jess!

One and a Half Dozen

I got a tooth pulled yesterday...lots of fun. I was really nervous about it, but it ended up going okay, I can still feel my lips and my jaw didn't break in half. Also, Jessica watched the boys all day so I could rest. It was lovely. Anyway, while I was waiting for the procedure and while I was resting and healing up, I read Cheaper By the Dozen. My parents gave a copy of this book to each of my sisters and me for Christmas, so this seemed like the perfect time to read it and take my mind off of the unpleasantries. It was a fun read, written by two of the 12 Gilbreth children about their childhood. It reminded me a lot of my own childhood.
My mother likes to say she has one and a half dozen kids...which she does. Pictured above are the half dozen, the last one came four years later. It was crazy growing up in a family this size, but we didn't know any better. We had a lot of fun growing up. Space was in short supply and I'm not fond of crowds, but there was always someone to play with.
We camped a lot. Vacation was something that was very important to my Dad. We have tons of great memories of road trips and adventures.
On the way to some remote campsite in unknown territory, Dad would have Mom drop him and one kid off along the side of the road when it followed a river for awhile. We would take our inflated pool raft or inner tube and float down the river hoping at some point to meet back up with mom a mile down the road. We never knew if there would be rapids or a waterfall or if the river would continue to follow the road, but it always did. We always made it home safely. Life was an adventure growing up on Covington Street.
As for my tooth extraction, my face is swollen but I'm feeling okay. Enjoying the boys today.

Monster Truck Sickies

Vincent made up a song for driving trucks and motorcycles around:
"It's a sunny day to jump over the road." He also loves to read, we'll find him just sitting on the floor with a book in his lap, usually Curious George, reading by himself.

Daniel told me that he was going to "Grown-up sit me", because I'm not a baby, I'm a grown up.

Gavin is slowly beginning to communicate more than just fussing. He's been stubbornly refusing to use sign language at the table, but he does it once in awhile. Lately when George or I walk through the door he's been walking up with a huge smile, arms raised exclaiming "Haaaaaiiiiii!" It's precious. He did this to Auntie Jessica the other day and she was tickled.
Once again, sickness is ravaging our house. First Gavin got Hand, Foot & Mouth. Then Vincent got a cold, fever, runny nose, cough...this spread to Gavin then Daniel a few days later. If snot could be measured, we would be setting records in our house. We're going through boxes of Kleenex faster than Gallons of Milk these past couple weeks.
So we're hibernating for the winter again, not leaving the house for fear of getting anyone else sick or catching something else ourselves. We're enjoying lots of movies, train sets, coloring and anything else we can think to do inside while it rains, rains, rains.

All Clean

Snowboarding...finally

Crossing Covington Street

For the first time in 5 years, I got to go snowboarding. George has gone once since we moved up north and started popping out kids. We went to Tahoe for two nights and had a mellow but really good day of snowboarding. It was sunny, warm and the snow was nice fresh powder.
I was really nervous about getting on the mountain again after such a long break. Before our first run, my old snowboard boots started disintegrating. We did one run and made it back to the car before the sole fell completely off. Fortunately I had another newer, more uncomfortable pair to wear, so it was fine. It just made me feel really old.
We stuck to the groomed, intermediate runs most of the day. But we rocked a black diamond mogul run and a few small jumps like old pros- tired, out-of-shape pros. I can't wait to go again.

Gavin's secret spot

You may have noticed a new addition to the blog. I recently set up an Etsy shop and have some photography and also some handmade jewelry for sale on there. The jewelry thing is a new hobby that I'm really enjoying. Check it out by clicking any of the pictures.

Gavin has a new hang out. He climbs in the jogger basket and peeks out with a huge smile.


More teeth appear every week. Gavin now has three teeth that have broken through with more just beneath the surface. One tooth on bottom and his two vampire teeth on top.