Kitchen & Draft

As promised...pictures of the lovely new kitchen. Before and after, of course. It's phenomenal! I love it. This is a project that we didn't really see in the cards until a few more years. But, necessity ushered in a much more functional kitchen. Really, only one side of the kitchen was touched. Eventually, we hope to do more, but this was a great start. New range and hood, new butcher block counter, a shelf for the microwave to sit on, and shelves that slide out to hold all my pantry items. I am still blown away at Steven and Zach's mad skills that they did this entire project themselves--with a short visit from a plumber and electrician. And they did it all in 2.5 days! Most impressive. It took Steven & I another day or so to sand and paint the cabinets, but now it's all done and put back together. I am indebted to Zach not only for all his hard work, but for his wise counsel and whip-cracking abilities to get this Jones family to make decisions and get it done quickly! Thanks, Zach.
My kitchen helper:Saturday afternoon we headed over to Tim and Pam's house for our WAFFL draft day. Tim had a lottery system devised that used dominoes to determine draft order. Guess who got the 12th and last overall pick? Me. Turns out it wasn't too bad. I can't say I'm over the moon about my team, but I don't think I'll lose every game. Although...I say that...We had a delicious waffle dinner at 'halftime'. The kids (most of them) actually ate their dinners that night! And who wouldn't with such awesome breakfast foods?To keep the kids semi-occupied Tim put on a movie for them. It ended up being a double feature, actually. 15 rounds takes awhile! It was a great night. I know Matthew had a blast with all those friends and cousins to play with. Will had fun too, being passed around. He slept through most of it. Can't wait to see what the season brings!On another note, Will is 7 months old! Smallest 7 month old ever, but he sure acts the part. That boy is a delight. He also ate 3 solid meals today. Growth spurt? Nah!

Da-Da

My little baby has been talky-talky this week. It's so cute to hear him chatting away, he really goes after it. The raspberries are still a favorite, but he has also been practicing the "d"s. Steven has been basking in all the "Da-da, da-da" he's been hearing. It really is adorable. William is sitting up like a champ. I don't even worry about him falling over anymore. He leans over from his sitting position into the beginnings of a crawling move, so I know it won't be long. He studies every move that Matthew makes and thoroughly enjoys playing with his brother's toys. Matt, however, squeals when he finds baby slobber on his precious things.
This week we have been putting the kitchen back together. I had to completely reorganize things so it's taken me awhile. It's like a puzzle trying to figure out where everything fits and putting things where they make sense. We still have to sand and seal the butcher block counters, so once that is done I'll post some pictures of the final product. It really looks fantastic, and I am loving my new range. It's a dream!These are some pictures from backyard pool time the other day. Steven was assaulting Matt with the duck and he found it the funniest thing ever, so on and on it went. I like the look on Steven's face. Matthew has felt a little puny this week. I believe he has caught his first cold of the season with the onset of preschool starting. Poor thing can hardly breathe, but he's come a long way in learning how to blow his nose. I hope he feels better soon. I hate seeing him like this. It's so pitiful!
All you Port A people--ONE WEEK! Get the sunscreen ready.

Cool Tricks

William has been enjoying the backyard swing lately. He looks so funny sitting in there. I fold his little legs up and he peeks up over the top of the swing. Matt likes to push him...a little more forcefully than I would like, but I appreciate his enthusiasm. Will likes it until he goes face first into the front part of the swing. William is most proud of his new ability to blow one heck of a raspberry. He's been working on saying his "b"s...repeatedly, so it was only a matter of time before the spittle began. All the way home from preschool yesterday I could hear Will in the back making some awesome raspberries.Speaking of preschool, yesterday was Matt's first day back. He wasn't too cooperative for a picture, but this one will do. As soon as the photo was over he took off his backpack and thrust his nap mat at me for me to carry of course. Because my arms weren't full enough with the baby carrier and the diaper bag. He was a little shy going in, but once he spotted his good friend, Aiden, he left me in the dust. I picked him up and his teachers said he had a great day and even used the potty. They said he held it for a long, long time but finally gave in. Imagine that.Let's back up to the weekend. Can't forget Mary Claire's birthday! She turned 6 on Monday, and we had a family celebration on Sunday evening. Per her request, the kids ate macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, and peas. The adults ate some yummy tacos. And then Sarah made some awesome strawberry cupcakes with chocolate frosting. So good!!! Being that Matthew loves to hang out around food and therefore is always near or in the kitchen, he had the good fortune of being in the right place at the right time...he got to sit on the counter and lick the frosting spatula. Mary Claire opened her gifts and got all manner of things that little girls love: dolls, doll clothes, dress up clothes, etc. My favorite were these Madonna-esque fishnet gloves. Fabulous! We had a great evening celebrating with her. I can't believe she's 6...and going into the 1st grade!
Our old (from 1959) oven finally pooped out the other day. We didn't really expect to be remodeling our kitchen so soon, but here we are about to re-do a few aspects of our little kitchen. My dear, sweet husband is indulging me with the coolest oven imaginable. I have promised many good things from said oven. So, we're ripping out the old wall oven and the cooktop. In place of the old cooktop we will put the new oven/range with butcher block countertops surrounding and shelving where the void in the wall will be. It's a minor facelift, but it's going to make a world of difference to me! Tomorrow begins the upheaval. I'll leave you with a happy Will face. This face makes my day.

Summer's end

Summer is wrapping up...and although this sickeningly hot weather will remain with us long after summer is technically over, I am shocked at how quick our summer went by. Matthew met his new teachers for the upcoming preschool year that begins on Tuesday. He'll be reunited with his old school buddies and all the mischief they create together. He gets to go on field trips this year! I guess I am just astounded at how much my little boy is growing up. Not only does he look bigger he acts bigger as well. And not always in a becoming way.
Whoever said that girls talk more than boys should come spend an afternoon with Matthew. I'm surprised I'm not hoarse by the end of the day. The boy talks constantly. Unless he's parked in front of the computer listening to music or playing Curious George games. Even then though he's usually talking to himself. Or George. Truly though, the best dialogue and the most memorable things that come out of his mouth are right when he wakes up from a nap. The fog hasn't quite cleared and he says the funniest things. The other day he sat up in bed and said, "Whew! (he started slapping his hands around) I's just tryin' to slap all that sleep off." Or another day, "Hey Mommy Foofa was just sittin' there watchin' me sleep cause she's a funny girl." Foofa from Yo Gabba Gabba. I should really keep a pad of paper and a pen in his room so I can jot all the classic lines down.William Billiam is as sweet as ever. He's added more foods to his repertoire and seems to be enjoying solid foods finally. Sweet potatoes are the favorite. He's sitting up really well now and continues to enjoy being entertained by his brother. He's beginning to show his personality by throwing a fit when a toy is taken from him. I had forgotten how early all that starts. He's my tiny, cuddly, happy baby. I like to call him my pocket size baby!

More Birthday Fun

Steven's been teasing me that I've had a "birthday week" this year--and I suppose I have! It's been nice. Last Saturday we had friends and family over to enjoy some Chuy's takeout and birthday cake. Tuesday, on my actual birthday Steven took me shopping for my b'day present. I ended up with a mixed bag of items I've been wanting from both Sur La Table and L'Occitane. Then, on Saturday we drove down to Houston to see our friends the Olivers and stay with my dad and step-mom. It was lovely to see Bret & Sara as always...and Matt & Isa had a ball playing together. They were kind enough to join us out in Katy with my parents for a pool birthday party celebration. My dad's birthday is in August, too. We swam and enjoyed some bbq and delicious cupcakes. Wow they were good...We had a great time at the pool, and as soon as we got back to the house it was bedtime--for almost all of us. Dad & Ann had just returned from a 3 week trip overseas and were exhausted. We all called it an early night. Steven, Will & I returned to Austin on Sunday and Matt wanted to stay in Katy a few days longer.
Sadly, his stay was cut short because he got violently ill early this morning I am told. The poor child has been vomiting all day. At first he was telling them that he still wanted to stay, but this afternoon he changed his mind. He's on his way back right now. Poor guy!
This Thursday is Matt's meet the teacher night at his preschool. And then school starts up next Tuesday. Crazy! It's going to be good for ALL of us.

Peas

William has been slow to start solid food. I remember being equally as frustrated with Matthew. After a week of watching him choke down maybe a tablespoon of rice cereal at each feeding, I decided to broaden his horizons. Peas did the trick. He gobbled them up. I added rice cereal to them and a a little formula the next day and he enjoyed that concoction as well. Just trying to pack in the calories at this point!
Will's tests yesterday were probably more traumatic for me than for him. He acted like nothing ever happened once we left the clinic. It was God's provision that Steven was with me because I nearly passed out when Will was getting his blood drawn. It was early in the morning, I'd only eaten a scrawny granola bar & a cup of coffee, I was nervous & stressed about what Will was about to endure, and sure enough I got light-headed. I was embarrassed to say the least, and felt like such a wuss. Matt & I sat in a corner and sipped on juice and ate pretzels while Steven stood over Will. Will cried through the blood letting but held still. The sweat test was next, and once the strap was situated over his little arm and we got him all bundled in layer upon layer of clothing & a blanket, Will fell asleep in Steven's arms. We sat out in the hot sun for half an hour so he'd sweat. Thankfully, that was enough and we could go home. Looks like we won't get the results until tomorrow.
On another note, I am 31 today. It's been a nice day. The highlights: a trip to Target with my boys (always exciting), a blizzard delivered to me by a friend, and a date with my husband tonight. Yay!