Lunch Date

Rob and I got to go out on a date today, something we haven't done since Valentine's Day. Our friends-with-no-car offered to watch the kids in exchange for rides we've given them until they get their broken car replaced. We went to the new restaurant in town and shopping. The restaurant was nice and has some Greek cuisine. It's right next to the new McDonald's where Ponderosa used to be. It has the Rob-Penni stamp of approval.

We went shopping for outfits for me afterwards. I like having Rob with me b/c I rarely trust the opinion of a sales person. They keep trying to get me in prints and styles that are just plain crazy. Rob has a lot more sense and knows me WAY better :) I found two skirts and a shirt that I like. I had to laugh at Rob when one of the sales ladies started a dressing room for me. I was trying to keep a skirt so I could find a shirt for it. She picked one out (that I hated and was in the wrong size) and then took the skirt to hang up. I'm not a very forceful person, so I just let her take the skirt. Everytime I picked up something after that, Rob would say, "Quick! Hide it or she'll take it!" He had me giggling through the rest of the trip.

We did find him a new Hawaiian shirt at Kohl's, which is his weakness. I made sure he bought the loudest one they had and told him he HAD to wear it to church. (Oh, he usually wears a suit, which is why the loud shirt would be out of place for him.) We'll see if I can convince him to do it.

The kids had a good time with the sitters and were chasing each other around with water guns when we came home. We all had a great time.

And, on another note, I have a terrible sunburn from the pool yesterday (so you can imagine how much "fun" it was to try on clothing). I can see where my spray on stuff worked. I have circles on my arms from where it sprayed on. I guess I would have had to spray every inch of my person directly to have been protected. Needless to say, that worthless bottle of sunscreen is trashed and I'll use the kids' stuff next time.

Fun at the Pool

I had promised the boys during the hotter part of this week that we would go to the pool on Friday. Rob only worked until 10am today and we could go while Anna was napping (and Rob.) The humidity was gone today so it didn't seem as urgent, but a promise is a promise and we set out after lunch.

But, before lunch, Mommy needed to find a swimsuit. I had shopped for one yesterday but couldn't find anything to my liking. I then headed to Lane Bryant to see what they had. More expensive for sure, but I have a credit card there that earns me points and I can usually find something. I found a cute pink suit: it's either a sundress pretending to be a swimsuit or vice versa, but it's cute and it works.

A friend of mine called today and said she had two extra pool passes they couldn't use, so the boys got in for free. We went over pool rules, namely "don't run" and "don't pee in the pool." The peeing part sunk in but two excited little boys couldn't help running. The lifeguard in me wanted to blow my whistle, but I left my Fox40 at home, lol. The Aquatic Center in town has a graduated-depth pool and we hung out on the shallow side. It has two small slides, a waterfall mushroom thing, and other fun things for the kids to do and play on. We also ran into several families from church, so the boys had their usual playmates as well. (And I had some fellow moms to talk to.) But there was one thing that lured Matthew like a moth to a flame....the BIG waterslide.

The waterslide is a moderate-sized slide, but for a child that just barely meets the height requirements, it's the coolest thing ever. We measured him at the height line and he went on up the huge flight of stairs. Then came back down. Then left me later to go up. Then came back down. He said the lifeguard kept asking him if he was tall enough and he was just a little scared to go down the thing. Then finally, I saw him up at the top again. He wouldn't go down and kept letting everyone go ahead of him b/c he wanted to go last. I found this out from several teens who came down the slide laughing and filled me in on what was happening at the top. Finally, the lifeguard at the top convinced him to go down, and he came down fast! He hit the water and panicked a little, but the guard at the bottom caught him and brought him to me. Matthew sputtered and coughed, then said it was great! I told him we'll wait until he's a little taller and knows how to swim before he tries again.

Around 2pm, the lifeguards took their break and we took off. Two hours was plenty for us. The boys are slightly pink, but not to bad. I used a different sunscreen which was apparantly not as effective...my arms and face are starting to feel very warm. I guess I'll use their stuff from now on!

We had a great time and I think we'll try to make it part of our summer routine!

Anna stats

I just got back from Anna's 15-month appointment. Anna is 24 lbs., 31 inches long. Not much of a change since her 12-month appointment, but that's not too surprising since growth rates slow in the second year and she's running around everywhere. She was a very good girl and the doctor told her to give lessons to the other 15-month-olds he sees. She even evaded a shot today. She was only due for one, so he's kicking it to her 18-month visit. It was a pretty easy visit...she was good and I had no concerns or questions. She gave both the nurse and the doctor some high fives and tried to share her drink with the doctor, but he wasn't thirsty :)

We're taking off to find some cooler pastures now.

Es-ka-pay!!!

(That's "escape" in Finding Nemo-ese for those that do not have Disney watching minions running about your house.)

THE CAR IS FIXED!!! Our friend put in the small part that needed to be fixed and the car works again. Rob took us out to Culver's for supper so we could eat in the A/C and then we went to church and enjoyed the air for two hours. Of course, it just made the outside feel that much hotter and we still have to sleep in this oven-ish abode, but we cooled off for a bit. Rob is officially willing to buy an air conditioner, but we're holding out for a bit. Now that we can go places to escape the heat, I think we'll be okay. We will make plans this evening for the next few days and see where we can go. I do plan to take the boys to the Aquatic center at least one of the days.

And Rob and I were just commenting on the car part that needed fixing. It's a very small little part. Kind of reminds me of those verses in James that talk about the tongue and how it controls the whole person, a bit controls a big horse, and a small rudder controls a ship. Likewise, a tiny car part the size of an MP3 player can keep your car from functioning properly.

I'm melting, MELTING!!!

It's hot. And yucky. We have no A/C and no car to help us escape the heat. We just went to Walgreens (only two blocks away) to get out of the heat, buy another fan, and get some microwave meals so we don't have to cook. I am not one of those people who tolerates heat very well. I must have a fan on me at all times. I sleep with a fan on me well into the fall. THAT'S why I love winter so much. On the coldest days of winter when even I'm tempted to complain, I think about the yucky humid nasty days of summer and I stop complaining b/c I know it could be worse.

I would have just stayed inside today, but I needed stamps b/c I have some birthday/anniversary/and thank you cards to get out. Since I have no car, I had to walk. I decided to get there early in the morning, hoping to beat the heat. The kids and I left at 8am for our 11 block walk. It was already hot. We had to cross over a bridge and I usually let them look at the river, but today I shooed them across quickly b/c there was no shade. On the way back, they ran across b/c it was too hot to linger! Ben scraped his knee and the nice postal worker let us go into the back to wash it off and gave him a band-aid. It was kind of cool to see the post office behind the scenes.

We did let the kids play in the pool this afternoon. Anna doesn't like all the splashing, but at least she cooled off for a bit. And looked cute in her little swim suit. I would have taken them to the big pool, but that would require walking across town. Not worth it.

Bleh. At least the kids are still funny. Anna has been my funny buddy, doing all kinds of silly things, like her monster walk. Ben informed me today that the trash man took away our old couch and he's sitting on it in his living room now. And Matthew and I figured out how to play Super Mario Galaxy with two people. He holds down enemies for me while I squash them.

Four months and counting until the good weather returns....

Anna vs. Ben

Anna and Ben had their first fight today and I think it might have come to blows if it had gone on much longer. Ben found a pair of children's sunglasses under my bed (problem #1...they are NOT allowed in our bedroom) and Anna wanted them. She kept trying to take them off his head. He finally got fed up with it and pulled her pacifier out of her mouth. Ooo...that's low. She grabbed the glasses again, he took them back, and she yelled, "No-no!" at him. I think the fight ended about that time and we took off for the library.

But wait...the saga continued later in the afternoon. Ben fell asleep on the couch and Anna took the opportunity for a little revenge. She grabbed one of her stacking cups and whacked him on the head with it repeatedly. He woke up and fussed at her then went back to sleep. This time Mommy intervened with a sound "no-no" and took away the cup. Anna cried, but there were no tears. Just "the look" given to Mommy at the end of the crying and she went back to trying to whack him. We went through this about three times before she got the point.

And later, she was busy bringing in my bread containers (both empty) and taking them back to the kitchen when Ben decided to put them away for me. She got a little upset with him, but decided to let it go.

Can't wait until tomorrow!

Fortunes are Telling

Rob and I always enjoying reading (or making fun of) the fortunes that come in our cookies after a good Chinese meal. Yesterday's fortunes we decided all applied to the car situation.

Rob's: An unexpected event will soon make your life more exciting.
(Yep, we did not expect the car to have trouble and it DID make life more exciting.)

Anna's: Your troubles will cease and fortune will smile upon you.
(Rob said she owns the car now...that way it will be fixed! I think that she may be out of the woods as far as her molars poking through is concerned.)

Mine: Tomorrow you will find the item you have been searching for.
(Woo-hoo! Either the car part will be available or I'll finally find that last piece to the pegboard that's been missing for over a year.)

Gotta love those fortune cookies!

Father's Day...Litwiller style

Our family is so blessed to have Rob at the head. He's a wonderful father, never hesitating to pitch in when needed. He's a great godly example to the children, a good leader, and a fun "toy" for the kids as well. And he got to be a good example and leader today in a way he never expected.

We had some gifts prepared for him when he got up this morning. I bought a tie kit at Walgreens that had a white tie in it with some fabric crayons. The boys colored the tie and I ironed it to set the color. Rob proudly wore it to church this morning and had fun showing it off. I started a scrapbook for Rob of him with the kids. So far it has a title page and a newborn page for each child, but I plan to add to it in the days ahead. He made himself breakfast (you just can't top Rob's biscuits so I didn't try) and we headed to church. I drove and dropped him off at the door (tee-hee) and then I walked in the kids. We had a nice service and came home to our own deli bar for lunch. Rob picked out all the fixings for a deli lunch and we had sandwiches, cole slaw, chips, and a big cookie that the boys had decorated for him at the grocery store. I sent Rob up for a nap while I entertained the boys.

And then....I sent Rob to Berres Brothers to get a special coffee drink. I would have gone, but I had another big headache. He came back shortly after leaving because the car was acting funny. The speedometor (sp??) doesn't work right now and it's telling the car that it doesn't know how fast it's going. At least that's what the people at Auto Zone and our friend the car mechanic said. We can't get the part from Auto Zone b/c Saturn was bought out by Penske, so we're waiting for direction from our mechanic friend. The nearest Saturn dealer is 23 miles away.

Rob is handling all of this in stride, in usual Rob-style. If you are wondering "Why is this such a big deal to Penni?" then think of the one thing you know NOTHING about and would panic about if it broke. That's us with cars. That's why I only buy new...they generally have less problems. Oh, did I mention that the warranty on our three-year-old vehicle JUST expired last month? Yeah. But Rob is cool and calm, he reminded me that nothing surprises God, and we'll be just fine. He'll probably take the day off work tomorrow to get the car fixed.

In the mean time, we walk. Anna has a check-up tomorrow and it's too far to walk so I'll see if I can get a friend to take me or just reschedule the appointment. I hate to reschedule b/c her doctor is only in town two days a week.

Anyway, we ordered out for Chinese for supper b/c we were supposed to go out to eat. Thankfully the restaurant delivers :) Rob said he had a wonderful day in spite of the car situation.

Update: Rob is currently on the phone with our mechanic friend who says Auto Zone doesn't know what they are talking about. We can order the part. Good news !

Stamps and Rain

Last night I attended my monthly stamp workshop to make some cards with unusual folds and such. Shortly after I arrived, a storm hit and it rained hard for awhile. I knew the kids had set out with daddy for a nature/treasure walk to collect everything on a list Daddy had drawn up. I and the ladies at my table were all pretty sure that my family made it safely home as all that rain arrived.

Well. Apparently, Rob and the kids had the best walk ever and were caught out in the storm. They had collected most of the items on the list and were across the river when the storm hit. Rob said that they watched it roll in. Now, had they all been girls, they would have abandoned the task and picked it back up when the rain quit. The only girl in the group was confined to a stroller and subject to the whims of three men determined to finish that list! They still had to find a bird feather and the secret treasure. They did see ducks, but Ben said that the ducks wanted to keep their feathers, so they will continue to look for a feather today. But the secret treasure still called out to them, so they ran all the way to Walgreens, which is a considerable distance for two little boys and a man pushing a stroller to run! They were soaked to the bone by the time they reached the store, but they did get their treasure, which was a pick of any candy bar they wanted. (Daddy only let them eat half last night....good Daddy!)

Rob bathed them all when they got home and they all agreed that it was a great walk. Rob kept telling me how much fun it was when they got home. And I had fun as well making some cool-looking cards. And staying dry :)

Hi ho, Hi ho...

...it was off to work I go! A friend of mine is the manager at the local Bass outlet and she hires casual labor for their inventory times. I worked for a little over six hours yesterday doing the date entry part of inventory...which is good, because every time I try to count or scan merchandise I end up being off. It was a lot of fun and brought in a little extra income. I'm going back tonight to help them finish.

My children, on the other hand, did not like having Mommy gone, even though Daddy was here. Matthew was upset that I was leaving, but handled it okay overall. Ben has been naughtier than usual today...perhaps punishing me for leaving??? Anna has been very clingy and had to be right next to me all morning long (which made school time very interesting). I let her up on the stepstool while I made lunch. I gave her some measuring utensils to play with while I cooked. She was perfectly content until naptime. She NEVER cries at naptime, but today she threw a little fit. I think she just didn't want to leave Mommy! She's also starting to have a bit of trouble going into the nursery, so it must be separation-anxiety time. Yippee. I don't leave until around their bedtime tonight, so maybe she'll be better tomorrow. Oh, she also cried when I let Ben out to check the mail, thinking that I was leaving again. I could complain, but it's nice to be missed!

Bleh

Well, I haven't posted anything for awhile b/c I'm waiting for a headache to go away. I woke up with it on Wednesday and it seemed to be a migraine....and could be, for all I know, but it won't go away. I've slept, watched my diet, taken Exedrine Migraine, and still the thing lingers. I've decided to go about with my life as normally as possible at this point. If I don't, I will go crazy.

Rob has been a sweetheart about all of this and has taken good care of me and the family. He took some time off work on Thursday since I was so dizzy I could barely walk. I'm so thankful for such a wonderful husband who takes good care of me.

The kids have been sweet as well. The boys are pretty good when I'm not feeling well and almost go overboard at times. I had two fans on me this afternoon and went from needing a light breeze to needing a blanket :)

Otherwise, we've had some fun this week. Our McDonald's opened and we took the kids there on Friday for lunch. Until they put sound dampners in the playroom, we'll be eating in the main area. It was LOUD, and that's not just the headache talking. Even Matthew couldn't handle it! The play area does have a toddler spot and Anna had a good time going down the little slide.

We attended a birthday party on Saturday afternoon for a friend of Matthew's and had a great time. Everyone there was in our Sunday school class, so it was fun for the adults as well. They had three or four of those jeep toys for the kids to ride in (the dad found them in the trash and fixed them up) and a HUGE backyard, so the boys had a great time riding around. At one point, Ben and two of his friends that were 2 were in one with the youngest one driving. Wish we'd gotten a picture of it!

And I think that's the limit of my staring at a screen.

Early Birds

The early bird is supposed to get the worm right? And that's a good thing? My little ones have all turned into early birds since Rob finished school. Matthew likes to get up around 5:30 so he can have a little time with Daddy before he leaves for work. Ben gets up shortly after him and Anna usually sleeps until close to seven, but all three of them were up at 6 this morning. **sigh** And yes, I have tried sending them to bed a little later, but they just get up at the same time and are crabbier all day long. I really, really wanted to have my quiet time in the mornings, but I'm NOT getting up at 4 to do so!! I'm sure I'll have PLENTY of morning quiet time when they are teenagers.....

Anna has started singing. We have family devotions each evening before bedtime and she climbs up on my lap for the singing part. She's trying to sing "Jesus Loves Me." So far she can hum the tune and gets out "Jesus" "Bible" and "tell." When we're singing hymns she sits on my lap and says "Sing!", usually right between the verse and chorus. The boys have enjoyed learning the hymns as well. They are both with us on Sunday nights in the service and Matthew has complained that he doesn't know the songs. This Sunday night he tried reading from the hymnal, but said we all sing too fast. If we sang at the rate he reads, it would be six o'clock before Pastor preached! (We have a five o'clock service...I love it!!)

I signed up the boys for the library reading program yesterday. They have to report minutes read instead of pages read this year, so I guess I'll keep the timer handy when we're reading. Should be another fun summer of neat library activities. The family program is just a scavenger hunt, which is always fun, and involves finding places around Watertown with just a tiny picture to guide you. We've figured out over half of them so far, but we'll need to do some driving around town for the other half.

And we've all been playing lots of Wii this summer. We borrowed Super Mario Galaxy from a friend and three of us have logged many hours playing it. I realized this morning how cool our kids' parents are! Okay, so we're really not all that cool and I'm sure the boys won't appreciate fighting over the Nintendo with Mom and Dad when they are older.....tee-heee....

Anna says

Anna has been working on her vocabulary quite a bit. She'll try to repeat just about anything we ask her too, but these are her consistently good words: ball, baby, more, (mo-ah), door (do-ra), boys (which is her name for both the boys), Daddy, Mama, hi, hello, please (peese), thank you (tan tu), and her numbers: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10. There are probably a few more that I'm forgetting.

She saw herself in the mirror a couple of days ago and said, "Pretty!" And today I asked her who was in the mirror and she said, "Nana." She tries to say Matthew's name, but she can only get the "mmmm" out. Same for milk. She does know who the boys are if I ask her but she can't quite say their names. Kind of reminds me of the story of Rob's youngest brother Dan, who called Rob and Andy both "Robbieandy." I can just see the conversation with Anna: "So, who hit you?" "Boys!" "Which one...."

And finally, the smoke detector went off today while Rob was making breakfast (nothing burned) and Anna said, "Hi!" as if she was answering the phone. Oh, she can also say phone...forgot that one!

Ben funnies

Today the boys were outside riding their bikes back and forth on the sidewalk. At one point they abandoned their bikes to pick dandelions (they hand them out to passers-by) and Matthew decided to ride Ben's tricycle. Ben wasn't too happy about that since he can barely sit on Matthew's bike, let alone pedal it. Matthew finally switched back bikes and said, "Now I can go fast!" Ben, happily peddaling his bike, said, "And now I can go slow!"

Ben and I were running some errands this afternoon, one of them being to the library. I wanted to drive, since I needed the car for part of the time, but he wanted to walk to the library. He cried a bit, then said, "I'll walk and you drive!" And you know, he probably would have done just that!

Sigh

Rob's eleven day weekend came to a close and he had to go back to work today. The upside of his going back to work is the return of income :) The downside is that he's not here anymore. At least he works mornings to mid-afternoon and we have a good chunk of the day with him. Oddly enough, the kids didn't even ask where he was until lunchtime today. They are very conditioned to Daddy being gone.

I'm trying to get up when Rob does so I can do my devotions in the morning. I am trying to read through the Bible this year (currently in the book of Job, which is so cheery to read in the morning) and I just started a little Bible study book on contentment. There is no ladies Bible study at church in the summer, but they offered a little book for those of us who wanted to do something over the summer months. It's pretty good so far.

We got back into our Sonlight material today after taking last week off. We were gone for three days and I just couldn't see starting up on a Thursday. We took some time to clean house and play with the kids instead. Matthew didn't even miss it until yesterday, when he sang to me, "Mo-mmy...we forgot to do schoo-ool!" (He's been performing in his own reality-style musical recently...i.e. he sings most of the time instead of talking.)

Ben had yet another nosebleed yesterday at church, but he got some candy out of it from the gentleman who helps us pass back the nursery kids. He's getting a little better about dealing with it each time it happens. And I was in Anna's nursery yesterday, which made her jealous and whiny whenever I picked up another child. It was fun otherwise...I hadn't worked in the toddler nursery for a long time. It's amazing how much different a young one-year-old is compared to a child almost two.