Trip to the Dentist

Yesterday we took all three new kids to the dentist. I was very unsure how it would go. I figured Rachel would do okay, but wasn't convinced at all that Hannah or Dan would go for it. They have a major "white coat" phobia with all the doctor visits they have had.

We were so pleasantly surprised. All three kids did terrific! Hannah particularly won the day for patiently sitting in the chair for 45 minutes while the hygienist removed some major plaque. She was such a trooper, never complaining once.

We were also very surprised that they actually have quite good teeth. Hannah will need some extra work because of her cleft lip, but that was it! I was so thrilled with the whole experience.

Gabe was a huge help with Dan when it was his turn; sitting in the chair with him and cheering him on. Bessie was back and forth from the waiting room and Brian sat in the waiting room with the rest of the gang.

Dan adjusting his sunglasses

Rachel takes her turn
Hannah relaxing

Sonja, the hygienist did such a great job and was so good with the kids. Everything worked out so well. I am so glad they had a good experience for their first visit.

K'Nex

Gabe has had a good summer of building and creating. His latest creations have been using K'Nex. He is very good at following the directions and also at coming up with his own ideas. I am so glad the kids enjoy using their imaginations.

Gabe watching the Ferris wheel

Gabe added a PlayMobil figure to the lawnmower he build

(He took this picture)

Bathroom Project

Last week, we bought a new washer and dryer. We have been wanting a stackable set ever since we moved in 11 years ago...the main reason being our desire to put a shower in the downstairs bathroom, which is also the room where the washer and dryer are. Anyway, we finally splurged and got the set we wanted.

Our house is ca. 1840s and nothing is ever easy making renovations. Last winter the toilet had leaked and as a consequence, some of the flooring was getting spongy.

Brian preceded to tear the downstairs bathroom apart. He removed the old washer and dryer, the vanity and sink and the toilet.

Old washer/dryer and the mess they left behind!


Repairing the floor was next. He had to take up all the old flooring until he reached solid subfloor. Some time or other, two floors had been put down on top of the subfloor. The odd thing was is that new floors were not level, but the subfloor was. They had shimmed the flooring and actually made the floor unlevel...go figure. Bri put down new base floor and flooring.

Bri tearing up the old flooring and getting some help from Dan


He moved and replaced all the wiring and plumbing associated with the washer and dryer and put in new plumbing joining the drain for the toilet to the cast iron drain pipe.

The final stage was resetting the toilet, vanity and sink and setting up the new washer and dryer.

The new base flooring and flooring


This is only phase one of the project we have planned for this bathroom which eventually will mean gutting the room a lot more than we did and installing a shower and new fixtures.

I am very, very happy with the new washer and dryer and so glad that the bathroom was only out of order for three days!

The new washer and dryer

Debbie

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~Training Hearts~

Commitment Pledge:

We are a Christian family desiring to raise our children with the primary focus of Training their Hearts!

"I have no great joy, than to hear my children walk in the truth." III John 1:4 "Train up a child in the way they should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6 "Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commandments always, to that it might go well with them and their children forever!" Deuteronomy 5:29

Hannah's Day

Today was a big day for Hannah. She learned to ride a bike without the training wheels. It all happened quite suddenly. She has a very pretty pink bike with training wheels, but all week she has been picking up one of the older "boyish" bikes that doesn't have training wheels. This morning she was trying it again. Bessie held the bike while she got on, gave her a little push and off she went.

She was so very pleased with herself and the whooping and hollering that was going on from the rest of the family was so funny. She was grinning from ear to ear with the sheer pleasure of her accomplishment.

After a few runs around the yard, she had figured out how to get going on her own and didn't need any help. We are all so proud of her determination and perseverance.

On a funny side note, Dan gets more than his fair share of the attention in the family. If you read my blog regularly, you know how cute he is. He is easy to lavish attention on. Well, he was not a happy camper today when Hannah was getting so much attention. He kept trying to get everyone to watch him, while we were encouraging and clapping for Hannah. I finally told him to wait a minute that we were being excited for Hannah and that I would watch him soon. He just stood there, covered his eyes and started wailing. It was really quite pathetic and humorous. He did not enjoy losing his status as the center of things. Poor Dan!

Dissections-Warning...some graphic photos

While Gabe was working on his owl pellet, Bessie was tackling some dissections. She finished her Apologia Biology book and had saved all the dissections for last. She was really looking forward to working on these...she is so my daughter! :-)

Her first specimen was an earth worm. She tackled like a pro, reading the directions and using her tools properly to find all the different parts.

Carefully opening the bag of specimens

Does this look right mom?
Ever so gently
Is this kewl or what?
Final inspection and diagramming

The smell was a bit much, but we lit a nice candle and that took care of most of the odor.

Bessie finished up for the day by doing a crayfish. She still has several to do, progressively getting more detailed creatures. I just love science and so does Bess!

Check this out!

Owl Pellet

The last time I ordered from Home Teaching Tools, I got an owl pellet for Gabe to go with his Apologia Science book about birds and insects. Today we finally got around to exploring it.

Gabe loves this. We had done one before when we took a nature study course at a local environmental center, but that was a couple of years ago.

He was totally thrilled when he found two complete skulls. We haven't identified them yet, but he sure had fun finding all those bones.

Tomorrow we will work on figuring out what this owl ate.

Legos

Gabe finally decided that the other kids could play with his Legos. He has a few toys that he has kept for himself as the Littles aren't always good to toys. They have been thrilled to share this virtual treasure trove of colored blocks.

Gabe likes to build war machines, siege engines and all sorts of aircraft and space vehicles.

Hannah is by far the best builder of the Littles. She is patient and meticulous when she works. Dan just likes to play with the men and their armaments. Rachel makes very lovely scenes with the trees and horses.

It is quite the variety of creations they come up with.

Sunday Drive

Brian had to work on Sunday. It was a quiet day for the kids and me. We went to church in the morning. I had nursery duty, something I don't love, but do my part. We spent most of the afternoon sitting outside in the lovely sunshine. The air was cooler and there is definitely a feel that fall is in the air.

Bri got home a bit earlier than usual, so we decided to take a drive. We don't do a lot of that anymore with gas prices so high. It was lovely. We headed north. The Littles napped and the drive was very pleasant. We stopped at McDs for dinner, something we don't all love, but it was the quickest and easiest at that point.

We stopped at a public dock on the way home. There were some lovely boats there. Brian and I know just what we want in a boat, but we'd have to win the lottery. Maybe one of these days, we'll sell the house and live on a boat. What a wonderful learning experience for the kids. Of course, it would make for a very long commute for Bri.

We fed the ducks with some old crackers we found in the van. Sometimes it is a good thing that we aren't too tidy about keeping the van picked up. The evening was so pleasant and the river calm and beautiful.

There was a gazebo in the green along the dock. The kids had fun running around and around. I had a bit of trouble getting them to stop long enough for a photo. (As you can see by Bessie's death grip on Dan!)

We noticed as we were heading home how much darker it is getting earlier in the evening. The days of summer are quickly waning. I love the deliciousness of fall, but it saddens me that winter is so close on it's heals.

Latest Handwork Project

I took a short break from working on my cross-stitch projects and finished this doilie.

I love to do many types of hand work. Right now, cross-stitch is the one I work on most, but I also enjoy crocheting, knitting and sewing and try to fit in a few projects now and then.

I'll need to wash and block this before I am completely done. I really like how it came out.

Blogger's Bloom Day - August

I'm a bit late with my blogger's bloom day, but I hope that is okay.

Go to May Dreams Garden and check out all the other wonderful August blooms.

I have never had a great late summer/fall garden. Each year I try and add something that will bloom later in the year, but haven't quite gotten that well rounded bloom all through the growing season. There are a few things blooming and it has improved over the years.

Here goes...

Trumpet Creeper

Hydrandea

Painted Lady

Phlox

Phlox

Rudbeckia

There are a few other things that are still blooming from last month...coneflower, blanket flower, balloon flower, liatris, clemetis, butterfly bush and a few others.

We had a great early summer, with great sunny days and enough rain to keep everything looking great with little watering. The later part of this last month was dryer and things are looking a bit droopy. I should probably water, but never manage to get out there. Hopefully we will get some rain soon.

Day at Papa and Noona's

Some of the kids spent the day on Thursday with Noona and Papa at their home. The kids had a great time. Theresa and her four came down and Chris and Kayla were there, so there was a house full. Bessie took these pictures for me while they were visiting.

Hannah, Mariah, Bessie and Dan

Dan and Mariah

Mom, Dad, Chris and Kayla

Zeb and Chris

While the kids were visiting, Brian and I went shopping for a new washer and dryer. I have wanted a front loading washer for ages, but the price always put me off. Well, I finally gave in. Bri wants to put a shower in the downstairs bathroom and the only way we can do that is with a stacking w/d...so, we found a nice set that we both like. He will need to do some work before we can install them, but they are all paid for and will be delivered next week! I can't wait, although I will probably have to use a step stool to set the knobs on the dryer.

We stopped at a local down dock and there were some nice boats there. It is fun to see all the pretty boats that go up and down the canal. There was also a very interesting boat there. It looked as if the man was building it as he went along. There were parts unfinished and he was out working on a dingy when we went by. He was very pleasant and we joked about it later, that his boat might not be the prettiest one there, but at least he was on the river and a lot of people dream of it, but never get there.

We picked the kids up after dinner and stayed for a short visit. Everyone was pooped when we got home.

Summer Days

This past week has been full. Brian was away last week and arrived home on Monday. He was home Tuesday morning, but had to fly Tuesday night. He was home Wednesday and Thursday and then had survival training on Friday. When dad is home, we try and leave our schedule open for being home with him.

We've made trips to the Post Office, the Library and the drug store. We've been busy and done nothing but enjoy being together. It has been a good week. Brian and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary. Who would have thunk it!

Dan shows off a very large zucchini

Bri mans the grill...yum!

Weeks like this are hard to describe as we are busy, but don't seem to get much done. We are getting that frantic feeling one gets in the north when the summer is almost over and there still seems to be so many things you didn't get around to. We play harder and feel an urgency to make the most of our leisure time playing in the pool and doing "summer" things. The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler. The geese are flocking up on the reservoir and there are a few leaves that are tinged with red, orange or yellow. The summers are so fleeting in the north.

Of course, the fall can be long and glorious with warm, wonderful days and cool nights, great for sleeping. I love the fall, it is just too bad that winter is close on it's heels. Oh well, the cycle of seasons that come and go, round and round.

Monday

My nephew Christopher and his lady friend, Kayla came up to the northeast from Ohio this week to visit and to go to a Red Sox game. It is always so nice to see any of the Ohio clan and it was especially nice to meet Kayla!

Mom and Dad, Chris and Kayla and nieces Amber and Emily came over Monday for lunch and a visit. Thankfully the weather was nice and the younger set was able to enjoy the pool.

The gang in the pool

I love it that all the cousins enjoy each other company so much. My guys have 13 cousins ranging in age from 21 down to 8.

Hannah enjoys the duckie floatie she got from VBS

Brian arrived home while our company was still here, so he was able to visit with everyone. He had been TDY in Greenland. It was very nice to have him home.

VBS

Gabe and Rachel listen
during opening assembly
The kids had VBS from Sunday through Thursday this week. The theme this year was Take the Plunge, make a splash with Jesus. This was a very fun theme for the kids. Each night they had a different "splash point"...obedience, worship, faith, courage and service.

They had a lot of water activities for the kids and they had a blast. Each room was decorated with all sorts of beach items...balls, rings, beach towels, sand toys...it was very fun. Gabe and Rachel's class room even had sand and a boat!

I'm sure most VBS programs have very fun activities, but this year seemed to be particularly fun for the kids and I really think everything tied in so well with the different lesson each day.

They even had a water slide that was a huge hit with all of the kids (and many of the leaders).

They averaged about 100 kids each night. All week they had predicted rain, but except for a few storms overnight, the days were clear and nice.

Gabe working on a craft and he and Rachel taking a run down the water slide

















This year they did not have a teen class and some of the highschool kids helped with being group helpers or in other areas. Bessie worked in the nursery. I floated around helping where I could. I didn't commit myself to helping this year because I wasn't sure how all the kids would do. They exceeded my expectations and did a great job. All their leaders had good words for them. They participated in discussions, answered questions and were well behaved!

The evening sessions where from 6:30-8:30 and my guys were pretty pooped by the middle of the week, but that didn't seem to slow them down each night. They sang and danced, did crafts, had water games of all sorts, lesson times and snack.

Hannah takes a run on the slide and works on her craft

















Dan sure enjoys the singing!

















Some of the workers were really feeling left out of the fun, so on Wednesday night they stayed after and enjoyed some water fun of their own. Bessie had a blast!

Bessie taking a run down the slide!

















Bessie with one of her little charges













It was a great week of fun and fellowship. Brian is away this week, so this provided a nice distraction from missing Daddy.