Boys at play

We like digging ditches

FINALLY got all of the English Ivy out of the landscaping. Trimmed up the shrubs we're going to keep. Cut down the ones we aren't. Jeremy still has to rent a stump grinder, but in the mean time, he got an itch to start on the front walkway this weekend. We're going to remove the present steps and the rotting wooden "columns", move the steps to in front of the door, and replace the columns with something more elegant and less "country". There are a few shrubs in the way now, but we plan on keeping them and transplanting elsewhere. We've started to dig the trench for the new walkway. We're going to add the appropriate amount of compacted gravel and then sand before putting down the new cobbled pavers. Not like the hack who built the house and put the bricks on a half inch of sand right on the dirt. Can you say heaving and settling??? And he is supposedly a professional landscaper...still has his business in the area.....will never hire him!!

Hopefully it doesn't rain this weekend so we can get some more done before it gets too cold out. Jeremy has to rent a jackhammer because the old steps were brick laid over a solid poured concrete. I tried to break it up with our sledge hammer, but even all of my pent up frustrations couldn't crack the concrete.....

To Pick a Fight in Preschool....

No, actually Aidan was just bit by a mosquito right under his eyebrow near his eyelid. He went to bed fine, but woke up with his eye near swollen shut. He doesn't react well to bug bites. Luckily the swelling was mostly gone by picture day......BUT he decided to take a pair of scissors to his hair and cut a huge chunk out of it the day before school picture day.....nice huh!! Being a parent is quite interesting.....

Boys on the couch

It seems like everyone is sick in the household this week. All the boys piled on the couch to take a rest and enjoy a warm blankie.....

Bum in the air

Ethan likes to sleep with his bum in the air and his face planted in the mattress.

Happy boy...Messy boy

Prunes are just about as unappetizing going in as coming out....

Grandma

Grandma Holly came to visit on Thursday. She had business in St. Louis so when she was done she drove up to see us before going back to Chicago. She brought Aidan a drum made in New Mexico. He really likes it, and puts it up high on a shelf so the cats and dog can't get it. Next time she'll have to stay longer!

Let's go fly a kite

It was really windy yesterday, so I set up Aidan's Superman kite. The neighbor kids got jealous, so they had to come over and share.

English Ivy...the bane of my existence

Here's a before and after of the hard work I'm doing on the front landscaping. There's even more done than this most recent "in progress" picture. Did I mention that I don't like English Ivy?? I think there are about 100 spiders per square foot too..... Only one mouse nest so far. Thank goodness it was empty. Lot's of bird's nests too. Yah I know I need better after pictures....more soon.

Visitors

I forgot to mention that Grandma Beth and the Hernandez's came to visit last Sunday. They came for dinner after going to the Hoopeston Sweet Corn Festival. We made hamburgers and they brought some sweet corn. It was delicious!! Next time they're going to have to stay a bit longer.

Jeremy doesn't want to go to the Arcola Corn Broom Festival tomorrow. Party pooper.

Raspberry

Ethan the raspberry blower.....

FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL!!!!

Today was Aidan's first day of preschool. He was doing well up until the kids were going to walk down the hall to their room. He decided he was going to sneak out the doors and bolt down the sidewalk. The teacher scooped him up and he cried all the way down the hall. Mom was fine until this happened. Then the tears started to well up. He is my little boy of course. We'll see how his day went when I pick him up at 11:00 am.

Farm Progress Show...DEEEEECATUR

Combines and Reapers and Bailers...oh MY!!

Dad got a free half day on Thurs. to visit the Farm Progress Show. It wasn't very hot, but sure was windy!!

Weekend at Papa's (not to be confused with weekend at Bernie's)

Last weekend we went to Papa Don's. Dad had business at the Aurora Caterpillar facility. On Saturday, we also went to Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Anderson's house to celebrate Hailey's birthday party. We had pizza and a cake that Hailey decorated. Matthew ate all of the sugar cookies off!!! I also had a great time with Uncle Ben. Mom made him change a few diapers *hee hee*.