after pictures

i took a few pictures this morning but they aren't very good. I'll try to get more later.

I couldn't bring myself to give him a no guard buzz so I used and #1 and #2. I'll have to do it again in about 2 weeks so that it will all be even. You can still really see where he cut his own hair and looks pretty funny! It feels really soft and we all like to feel calvin's head.



as usual when his hair is really short you get a good view of his scar (even through a blury picture)!

to answer the questions...and comments
I wasn't really that mad to find calvin. He just looks rediculous and that is his choice. He is old enough to understand that if he cuts his hair he'll look funny. If he would have done that to clare it would have taken all my self control not to kill him and he'd probably still be in his room right now!

mistake

When Calvin feel asleep as we pulled into the driveway a little after 6 tonight I fought to keep him awake so he could eat dinner before going to bed. This was a mistake. He was so grumpy that he didn't get dinner anyway. He cried when he smelled dinner "it smells disgusting" and was so mad when I told him he had to eat some before I'd make him a new dinner that he went in the other room and gave himself a little haircut. A while later, while I was getting the buzzers ready so that I could give him a trim and make him look decent the dog runs out to the road chasing another dog who is out on a walk. The people walking the dog save Tressel's life by stopping traffic (otherwise he would have been hit by a car). I run up to get Tressel and return to see Calvin ...

Tomorrow Calvin wants to cut the rest of his hair to match! He will look ridiculous. But I'm not really sure what else to do. I was laughing just to think of it. Tonight he said, "it will be funny and then it will grow back!" so true.

And here are my beautiful girls who make life sweet

way to go!!

(picture is great of shi but not so great of clare)

My little step-sister Shianne starred as Annie in a local youth theatre group. She did a fantastic job. We all enjoyed watching her sing on stage!

Also my dad played FDR (one scene) in his first acting debut. Who knew we had such a talented family. Alexey really got a kick out of seeing grandpa and was calling for him and reaching for him while he was out on stage. And then when we went to say hi after it was over Alexey wanted him and would not come back to me... so sweet! They must have bonded while we were out of town last week.

best friends

Alexey is obsessed with Tressel. She will not leave him alone. He is her only toy. She says "come here, tressel" (not using the words but using the inflection in her voice and hand motions). She does say "sit" and "good dog." We are still waiting for her to say mom or dad!

Tressel sleeps in his crate under our stairs (near the front door). He is really good about going in there when I leave the house or at bed time. Last night he put himself in there (for the first time) when he was tired. Since the door wasn't closed, Alexey jumped in.

Alexey started to walk yesterday! All my kids walked about this same age -- 14 months. When I had calvin I was worried he was behind and something was wrong. Now I know to just enjoy the time I have before they start walking and things get even busier.

Things with Tressel are going better. For the first week or two I thought I might die but we are starting to get to know each other a little better and settling into a routine. I think having a dog is a lot like having a baby. It is better than having a baby b/c there is no pregnancy and no recovery time. It is harder than having a baby in other ways, such as puppies bark, chew, walk, run, cry and whine way louder than babies do, and grow 10x as fast as babies, plus they don't wear diapers. I learned that when someone has(gets) a puppy it would be appropriate and helpful to give gifts and send meals just as you would with a real baby because there really are a few days where it is not possible to function as a normal person!

Tressel can still squeeze through our fence in a few places so he can't be outside alone. I am very excited for the time when I can throw him outside and let him play in the yard. It will be especially helpful during morning time when he is awake and active and I am busy getting ready for school and also after dinner while we clean up and get ready for bed. Other than those times Tressel is happy to lay around.

Tressel would love to have visitors, while we are waiting to finish up his puppy shots and go out and see the world... so any of you that are in the area and want to see a puppy (before he grows even more) come on over!

a few highlights

**watching the red sox win a game at Fenway park


**seeing daves friend Tim and wife Holli. They live in the heart of boston on Beacon Hill.

**going to exeter, NH. Dave's home town from 7-12 grade.

at this house - we had lunch one day with an old family friend of Dave's. They have a grape vineyard and we had amazing home made grape juice.


**lunch at loaf and ladle. great soup and bread in exeter.

**mike's pastery in the north end. OH MY GOODNESS. Best chocolate cake and amazing cannoli's.


**great italian food in the north end. (This is Paul Revere's house one of the sights in north end.)

**meeting dave's old friend Chris and their family. His oldest kid is 3.5 (clare's age) and the 4th is due this summer!!

**the view from the top of the bunker hill monument. Almost a full 360 degrees. It was 291 steps to get up there! My legs are still killing me..
view of charlestown from the top


**blue man group

Overall we had a GREAT trip. I am happy to be home.

down sides of our trip: tips, tunnels, toll roads

waiting

Hi everyone!

We (dave and I) are in the airport waiting for our plane and also waiting for Dan to bring us the piece of luggage we forgot. We would have just gone on without it but it has our priceless tickets to the red sox game. It is a rough start to our vacation since we had to fork over $100 to change our tickets but that is just what happens sometimes.

Dog is getting dog-sitted at a friend's house and my Dad is home with the kids (pray for him)!

We are excited for a great few days seeing some of dave's old high school friends and the sights in Boston.

is this a zoo....

life is just getting busier and busier. It is great though. We are so blessed. Last week I was a complete basket case with the new dog but things are going better now. We are into a routine and all is well.

Today was CRAZY.

warning...some graphic info ahead. do not read if you are currently eating...

2 bathroom toilets clogged. poop all over one bathroom floor trying to plunge the toilet. One is still clogged, BTW. Who knows what is in it. Last time it was a juice box that "accidental fell in the toilet instead of the trash (Calvin)" and cost $75 to have the plumber come dig it out. Dave and I have both tried on this one and it'll be another plumber visit. I am putting it on Calvin's tab and someday he will owe me. That is not to mention the 3 pairs of shoes he has lost this (school) year.

clare peed on the stairs (one of the few carpeted areas in the house..why do they do this?)

Alexey tasted dog food for the first time. didn't care for it.

I accidently dropped a large and completely full bottle of liquid laundry detergent on the ground. About 1/2 the bottle emptied onto the floor. I did 6 loads of laundry trying to use of all the soap before it dried up!

today dave took tressel out to go potty on the grass. we had just come home from swimming so the kids were wearing swim suits. Tressel went pee on the grass (good, dog!) and then calvin decided he'd do it too. He was mid-stream when tressel decided to check it out and of course, he got pee all over his head. Then Clare decided it was her turn to pee. Tressel wanted to check that out too and stood right below her and got pee on his head once again. I did not witness this event but heard about it afterwards. Poor dog. Poor me. Am I raising children or monkeys?

no time to write

Alexey is fine. Her rash is almost gone. Now, she's on to the next cold. She seems to be the first one to get everything in our house. I guess it comes with her stage of crawling and tasting the world!

Dog is named Tressel.

Dave inspired me with this quote (to give dog loving/training/having my best effort) from Teddy Roosevelt. {I just love dave sometimes!}

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Alexey LOVES the dog most of all.



I am going on the youth conference trek this weekend, leaving soon. will be sleeping on the ground and it is supposed to rain!! AHHHH!! It should be nice. I have no part in planning so I just get to go and enjoy. It has been a HUGE hasstle to get people to watch the kids and the dog but it will be a nice 2 days of break from being "mom."