House maintenance

Lydia was in the middle of getting changed when she spotted the "problem" and got to work right away!

Myles, ever the fix it, had to don the safety goggles in order to get a handle on this "problem".

Lydia, now dressed, is always a helpful assistant. Do you see that pipe wrench? Well I guess we really have a problem spot because, that is where the pipe wrench lives. It CANNOT go in the toolbox with the other tools at the end of the job, it must stay there for safe keeping.

This is a little insight into a Sunday afternoon at the Dodd house. You know the plumbing is always a problem and needs constant attention. Not to worry, I have three very willing handy men to do the job. It's a favorite pass time for everyone. Let's just hope a real plumbing emergency doesn't arise as the real handy woman wouldn't have a clue what to do!

First day of preschool

Myles and Audrey wait by the "lunch wagon" before entering the classroom.

The VERY proud and happy preschooler. He was thrilled to go to school, and even more thrilled to find out he has a "cubby" to put his "stuff" in.

It's official my kids are growing up way too fast. Myles started his first year of preschool on the 6th of September. He is the oldest in his class and by far the tallest. The smallest girl in his class of 5 only comes to his shoulder. It's quite funny. He absolutely loves it despite his "I don't want to go to school" comment each morning before school. When I asked him how his 1st day of school was he simply said: "It was pretty cool Mom."

He is enrolled at a Presbyterian church run school that would have been super close to our old house on Ivy Ave. It's just one block west, though we are not far even in our new home. Just a short 2 min. drive. He is going twice a week this year. I wish I could afford to send him more. He seems to really love it. He has already come home singing a song about apples! It's really cute. I will try and get a video of it so you can see.

Now if I could get Lydia to stop crying each day we drop him off. She would just really like to stay too. Next year! I think he should get one whole year to himself. The girls could technically go in a month or so, assuming I could get Audrey potty trained. But for now I think that we will keep them home for the year.

Way to go my big bubba! So proud of you!

Old friends

My old Boston roomie Somer, and her husband Billy, baby Paz, and Jack the dog came for a quick visit on their way to Mexico. They are moving there and have driven from Calgary, Canada stopping in Seattle, So. Cal, and then on to Mexico. Good luck in your travels and the grand adventure you are about to embark upon. Thanks for stopping to see us. It was a great day at the park. We loved the visit. Maybe the next will be in Mexico!

A Circle

Myles and the girls *HEART* playing on the stairs. I hate it and tell them not to play there all the time. I was doing something... I don't know what, but I heard arguing over a blue ball. Myles of course won, but as he grabbed it he began to fall backward and down the stairs. He reached out to grab something, Audrey. They began to fall head over heals down the entire flight of stairs, landing at the bottom with his face against the null post. He came running to find me screaming so loud that he couldn't breath. I finally got him to calm down and tell me what happened and all he could say was, "Momma, we were like a circle falling down the stairs". I hope this will teach them to play somewhere else in the house.

Cheeky Monkey

I can't remember why he didn't have clothes on this afternoon. It's an occurrence that happens oft at our house. They get in the pool without clothes, they get wet at the water table, they get hot... the list goes on. Although I have to say that riding while naked isn't the most responsible thing. It could cause a few "chaffing" problems if you know what I mean. I do however love those cute little cottage cheese buns!

Myles has really come out of his shell the last few months. He has become quite the imaginative boy. He loves to make believe and pretend and make the girls follow along. The other day he set up his "country" in the living room. It was the country of Living land. I thought it was rather cute. He sets up shopping all the time and announces with his microphone that lane #3 is open for shopping. He takes his Fred Flintstone cars to the "gas station" (the garden hose) for fuelling all the time. It's quite a job imagining all day long.

Myles starts pre-school two days a week on Tuesday. I'm jumping for joy and think he is going to love it. I wish I could afford to send him more, but I'll take two days. The hardest part is going to be the girls. They cry when he leaves them. I forget that the three are always together. The girls keep telling me that they are going to school too. It's very cute.

Way to go Myles, you are getting so big, and I'm sure you have big things ahead. I can't wait to see what live has in store for you!

Love you Bubba.

Wait for it...

So as promised I have finally taken pictures of the little girls room. It turned out really cute if I don't say so myself! I found the cute picture on our last trip to Prague. Then the Dolls hanging on the wall are from mom and dad's trip to Russia. The red mirror was a hand-me-down from Aunt Carol and Uncle Hal when they moved to the East Coast. It was stained brown, but I put a coat of red on it and love how it looks hanging from these curtain tie backs from Tiapan Trading. I picked them up for 3$ each and a quick coat of paint on them for the tie backs and the hanging letters. I love them. The toy stack was an Ikea find that needed to be pained too. And last but not least the lamp I found a strand of black and red beads in my sewing stuff. So I guess what I am saying is the only thing I really spent money on was the framing of the picture. It is always the most expensive and I wish someone(ahhmm...Ryan, Leslie, Dru) would buy and mate cutter and learn to do this well. I would pay for the mate cutter. Anywho there you have it! What do you think.

Potty training #@*&

This is the bucket of pee pee pants at the end of the first day of potty training the girls. Score card says...18 pair of underwear. Not bad for two girls, but not good either. Man I forgot how much the first day sucks. It's an intense 3 days, but so worth it when you are done, or so I thought. Well, turns out Audrey had a little bug and she had "butt pee" for the first day and a half when i finally threw in the towel with her. I just couldn't take it anymore. It's one thing to have pee running down the legs, but poop is entirely different. So...I put her back in diapers. She was a little sad that she wasn't going to get treats and prizes, but I still gave her treats when Lydia got them and she was happy as could be.

Day two I only had 4 pair of undies in the bucket, and Lydia had actually had some success at going pee on the potty. By day three she only had one accident and was getting to the potty almost on her own. Now two weeks into it she just takes herself to the potty. She isn't so good at wiping, so I try and stay on top of that, but WAY TO GO LYDIA. I love it when it's done, I just hate it when I'm doing it. Two kids down, one to go...