Spring in the Air

So I finally can have a minute with the computer after Kelli’s been playing Doctor Geeko the past week or so with the blog. It looks really good, though, so I can’t tease her too much. Combine that with the extra help in getting the diary entries out and I just don’t see how I’m losing in this thing. I think we’re going to probably stop doing the website and just update everyone via the blog and then upload our pictures to snapfish for anyone who would like to order them. If you don’t get our snapfish picture/video updates and would like to, please send us your e-mail at jk5jones@bigpond.com.

So I guess the sad news of the week – the Cubbies did their usual bow-out in less-than-kosher fashion. But, story of my life so we move on to more exciting news …

Let’s see where we can dig up some good stories. First we’ll start with Hunter. He’s been our usual terror the last week. It’s been compounded by the fact that he’s been getting his lower eye teeth. They’ve broken through though and so we’re relaxing a little bit. Last night he woke up just before Kelli and I were going to bed and had a night terror. He wakes up and then just can’t be consoled. I usually take him downstairs and watch some English premier league soccer in the late night hours and that at least gives me something to take my mind from the screaming. Last night a gummy bear seemed to relax him a little as well. Eventually he pooped himself out after 20 minutes or so and went back to sleep. He was so tired he slept through the night (unusual for him) and so I didn’t have to sleep on the edge of the bed (usual for me J).

The fun story from Hunter has to do with food, surprise surprise. The other night I made the kids ice cream and Hunter gets his own. He doesn’t know many words, but ice cream are some of the select few. So he gets his cone and he wanders into the TV room. We have a couch that sits off the wall a half foot or so. He tried to squeeze between the couch and wall with his ice cream cone in tow … but in the process smeared part of the chocolate on the wall. He kind of cried when he was stuck between the wall and couch, but that didn’t compare with the ‘little’ scream when he turned around and saw that part of his ice cream was dripping down the wall. He then proceeded to take the remainder of his ice cream cone and tried to ‘pick up’ the lost ice cream on the wall … so he basically started to smear more of his good ice cream on the wall before I could finally get to him and stop the madness. Never a dull moment … He also likes to throw things off the upstairs balcony. The other day he got away with the curling iron from the bathroom and Kelli realized his sneaky ways just before it took a dive over the side rail. He also proceeded to eat his McD’s hamburger with a hole in the middle from both the bun and burger --- and all of his fries! Oh, and he’s become quite the lady’s man with the local church girls …

Collin, on the other hand, has been going through a ‘Lightning McQueen’ phase. He loves to get on his little training wheels and cruise the backyard around the patio table, down the straight away and around the laundry pole at the other end of the yard. Hunter likes to go cruisin’ on the spiderman scooter with Dad as the engine. Savannah is our starting and finish line maker with a tape measure.

Collin didn’t have a night terror, but he did have an episode of his own. In the middle of the night Kelli and I here this muffled, “I can’t see!” Collin and Savannah have been camping out on the floor in our room (yes, we’re soft!). Well, this night he somehow managed to wriggle his way under the bed and only half his legs were not under the bed. I tried reaching over the side of the bed to pull him out and he responded by acting like a mussel stuck to a rock in the ocean. I couldn’t pull him out and the more I tried the more he said, “No, no!” I finally got on the floor next to him and tried talking to him as I forced him to come out – then his head got stuck and he wasn’t too happy about that. Finally he was freed and just sat there taking deep breaths before crashing on his pillow and going back to la la land.

One last thing with Collin are the funny names he has for things. When we talk about Albuquerque he pronounces it, “Apple-ker-kee:. When he talks about Australia he pronounces it, “In-stralia”.

Savannah has been a little angel the past week on her school holiday. She hasn’t had any of her usual outlets like swimming, tennis or netball, but she and Collin have been getting along very well. Hunter has been tagging along as much as possible. He’s pretty easy going and it’s a good thing. Another way to occupy her has been her little tamagachi. She loves to play with the thing and before she went to bed tonight she gave me specific instructions on how to take of it. With only 3 buttons you wouldn’t think it would be that complicated, but she went through a series of do this, then this, and then this and push this button, then this … all in about 5 seconds … and then went to bed. I promptly handed the thing over to Kelli not having a clue what to do.

As a family we went up into the Adelaide Hills this past Saturday. I’m finally somewhat used to driving the gauntlet of twisty, turny narrow roads. Not sure what the motorcyclists are thinking zipping here and there, but we somehow survive. Anyway, we went up to the Barossa Valley which is renowned for its wine production. Amazing rolling hills of vineyards. The attraction on this day though was a seemingly common dam. Not very big or deep, but because it has a circular shape, it has a unique characteristic in that you can stand at one end of the dam, whisper or talk and then you can listen on the other end as if the person is standing right next to you. It’s really kind of spooky … but cool. The kids didn’t think too much of it but there was this grandma ice cream truck feeding the masses there at the dam and they got an ice cream cone with sprinkles which they thought was great. One little pet peeve with Australia though is the fact they won’t let anyone use the reservoirs for recreational use. They have these beautiful lakes in the hills and know one can even get within 20 feet of them for fear of ‘trespassing’. Not sure really what the logic is since they have to treat the water anyway … Anyway, just a little quirky thing I thought I’d pass on. Adelaide is awesome right now with spring in the air and all the flowers in full bloom. Kelli and the kids went up to Morialta Falls and enjoyed the walk – one of our favorite places J See you next week!