Weekend

Nov. 4 

Grandma reading to Nolan (safety is his first priority - note the goggles)

November 7 the Pre-K through second grade at Brenden's school put on a "Salute to America."  They sang patriotic songs and were able to show off everything they have been working on in music so far this year.  Brenden informed me 5 minutes before the show that he was the Liberty Bell.  I wasn't sure if I missed the memo and he was supposed to have some sort of costume, but at that point, it was too late.

Getting ready to go

"The Liberty Bells is more than it's cracked up to be

it stands for equality and freedom for you and me..."

Brenden says the girl in the pictures follows him and always has to talk to him and sit by him.  His "girlfriend" is the one in the red jumper in the second picture.  Her name is Tika and she is so cute.  She was wearing make-up and Brenden said, "Tika had red lips tonight, how did she do that?"  

Today was the most frustrating day EVER and none of it even involved my children.  I had removed all of our appliances to tile the kitchen.  After having no appliances for several days - let me stress that again - several days - I finally tiled most of the kitchen myself and we grouted it today.  Now, here is the frustrating part...  We started to put the trash compactor back and now the floor is too high, so it didn't fit.  We eventually had it wedged to the point of no return - it had to go in because there was no getting it out.  We removed the back side of the cabinet to try to find the problem, but there was no apparent problem.  We pounded and pushed and shoved and are sufficiently bruised and worn, but approximately 6 hours later, the trash compactor has half of its top jaggedly sawed off and is dented (as is the counter top), but I was able to successfully use my entire lower body while sitting on the floor with my back against the island for that added counter-push to get the trash compactor as far into place as it will ever be.  If it ever breaks, it's not coming out without replacing all of the cabinets.  How much of that do you have to put into a disclosure statement when you sell?

So, as if that's not bad enough, the floor is also enough higher that the stove no longer rests nicely even with the counter-tops.  It is nearly 3/4 inch above them providing that ever so desirable place for all food and gunk to get stuck.  It is in the island, so it has a nice overhang so that everything looks flush and beautiful - ruined!  The dishwasher also required some work to get into place, but considering what else we went through today, that isn't even worth mentioning.  The fridge is still in the middle of the kitchen (I'm still not sure if that is better or worse than the middle of the dining room).  By this point, I had had ENOUGH.  Doug was looking at me like he was going to call the nearest mental health facility as I pulled out the Pam and started spraying the fridge and the cabinets to try to get the fridge to slide into place.  I must say though, that it worked.  And then we remembered we didn't put the moulding back behind the fridge...   So, it's back in the middle of the kitchen.  I am out of energy.  My mom said she wanted a picture of our kitchen fully tiled by tonight, but no more tile got done.  Tomorrow is another day.  Well, I guess Monday is another day.

BUT, in other good news, I now have a toilet back in my bathroom.  Still no sink, but a toilet.  I am thrilled about that.  I am ready for my day of rest now.  When exactly does that fall in the week for parents of 3 boys?

Today Brenden made a game and while Doug and I were sufficiently frustrated, Brenden came into the kitchen and said, "I made a game, do we have some time to play?"  So Doug and I put everything down and went to the living room.  Brenden told us it was a matching game.  My turn was first.  I flipped over a picture of a man that said "man" on the paper and one of a car.  Brenden told me I was wrong and it was his turn.  Brenden flipped over a car and a car.  Then it was Nolan's turn.  Nolan flipped a car and a car.  Then it was Doug's turn.  Doug flipped over a car and a car.  Then it was my turn again and there were only 2 pieces left.  They were a man and a car.  I guess I had no hope to win from the beginning.  Doug commented that it was a game with a handicap.  Brenden ran off to make a new piece and came back with another piece that said car.  He asked me to draw a car piece and I told him his cars look better than mine, so he drew me a dashed line picture of a car to trace so that I could make the piece.  I guess maybe we need to play Memory more often.