our summer vacation...

It's has been almost three months since I last posted. To say it has been a crazy-busy summer is an understatement. Moving to a new house has been the biggest and most taxing event of the summer. We are blessed with great friends and Kevin's family who helped us move...in just five hours. The house is wonderful. It has been a much needed "pick me up" after the stress of my Dad's death and all the ugliness surrounding it. Everything is new and works. Everything is clean and functional. The neighborhood is amazing. It is a young neighborhood for the most part with tons of kids being pushed in strollers, riding bikes, etc. The families are all diverse and that is what I love the most. It is quiet at night and lively during the day. I feel so blessed. I also splurged on my washer and dryer and what a difference it makes! I can do a week's worth of lights or darks in one load - are you kidding me!?!?

Kevin is busy again with school and soccer. He has already had two games which means I am home alone a lot again. This week he had two full days in which he did not see the kids awake. Those are long days for me. Dane and Glory are now a team and they are gruesome. They play, they fight, they scream, they cry, they get into everything. They run away from me, they run into me, etc. Stay at home moms are STILL under appreciated in my mind.

Dane is going to pre-school in September. He will be three in December. He has been on the wait list for the Child Development Laboratories through MSU for a year. I did not want him to go a year ago, I just knew it would take that long to get him in. This is where I did all off my teaching work when I went to MSU. It is a great school with head teachers that are also professors to students at MSU. Then there are student teachers and also students in the classroom.

Dane is still funny and sweet with tons of energy! He comes into bed with Kevin and I at around 5am or later and then when he wakes up again around 7, puts his arms around us and says, "I love you guys." It is too sweet.

Glory keeps up with her brother. She wants to do everything Dane is doing. She wants to eat whatever Dane is eating. She wants to play with whatever Dane is playing with. It makes for a lot of tantrums on both ends... She is saying lots of words! She calls all dogs "Gappy" (Gatsby), says more, up, Mama, Dada, out, and MINE. Can you believe one of her first words is mine? That should give you a good glimpse into her personality. She can hold her own with her brother, but is a downright bully to other kids her size. I'm serious. I think it's just a phase, but it is still embarrassing! She is so small and cute...and looks sweet, but look out! She pushes, scratches, pulls hair, and sometimes bites.

Anyway, I do not have much time, but I wanted to post. Now that we are home and somewhat settled in the new house I hope to be blogging more.

Love to all my Cincinnati family, I miss you!