Parental Button-Pushing Technique

"Now my dears," said old Mrs. Rabbit.  "...(inhales to speak, children moan and groan)

I have been using this Peter Rabbit phrase often, and my kids are sick of it.  I say everything with this phrase at the beginning, including the "said old Mrs. Rabbit" part.

"'Now my dears,' said old Mrs. Rabbit":
"It is time to fold the laundry."
"I want you to pick up your room."
"Put on your shoes and get in the car."
"Please pass the hot cereal."
Et cetera.  You get the drift, so do they and it drives them crazy!

I love having a way to irritate my kids if need be.  =)

I will leave you with a little poem that I am not sure whom to credit.  But it fits well with this great post about rearing children with love, patience and respect.

Speak roughly to your little boy,

And beat him when he sneezes.

He only does it to annoy,

Because he knows it teases!

More Glasses In The Family

A few weeks ago, Aidan bashed a chunk out of his cornea with the corner of a book he was reading.

After he saw an eye doc and healed quickly from that injury, I scheduled their very first eye appointment, ever!

Shane thought it might not be so necessary; we can be hands-off that way.

However, it turns out two kids are far-sighted enough to warrant reading glasses!

They were pretty excited to pick out frames and then yesterday the glasses came!

Aidan couldn't keep his glasses on for the entire writing lesson.  It might take awhile to get used to them, but hopefully it will make these early years of learning to read and write less frustrating.

They read and write already, but there is still a lot of progress to be made!

Another Patio Picture

Here's another update!

We are at a stopping place, now.  We have to wait for the concrete guy to come back and pour the floor before the wall crew can stucco and lay the flagstone.  Still, it feels good to have this much finished! We've already had a fire in the kiva, and we're looking forward to this fall!

My goodness, this looks really tipped over.  I had to go check outside to make sure everything is level.  I think maybe all the dirt piles around make it look tipped or something.  Looks fine in real life, and the level tells me it's okay, too. =)

The Back Patio Takes Shape

This was the progress at the end of today!

I'm so excited to get this project complete and start living in the back yard.

There will be a step so that when you enter the partial circle with the kiva, you will be lower than the patio around you.  And that will have flagstone in it!

Backyard Shenanigans

Okay, so nothing going on in the backyard is really secret misbehavior or anything.

BUT!!!! I have some catch-up to do from over the last two weeks:

The ground has broken on a new patio project and we have more concrete driveway, now!  Yay! Our car doesn't hang off the back of the slab anymore, woohoo!

I suppose I could show you the concept... It's probably on here somewhere.  If I find it, you'll know.

So far the footings have been poured for the wall and bunco seat and kiva and posts for the ramada. =) The kiva is a fireplace, the ramada is a wooden shade cover that is not solid, just beams across the top.  Can't have it solid, the wind would just be too freaky!

One thing about New Mexico... things don't get done in a hurry.  We hear about how there isn't any work, but it takes weeks for people to get back to you and get the job started.  And we are just happy to have a go on the project!  Our brick layer was supposed to start the brick yesterday, but we haven't seen him yet.  He'll be around, though.  It's going to be so cool!  Come and see us when it's done and we'll live the high desert life!

The backyard before, with all tumbleweeds neatly mowed.

The really awesome excavator!

Digging the footings.

The guy climbing out is the boss, and he is amazing!  He has an equally amazing mustache that I might be able to show in a video.  Awesome!

Around the front, we(they) widened and lengthened our driveway.

That job was done two weeks ago and it's finally useable!

The footings for the patio wall, bunco and kiva, and the blocks on top were laid out by the brick guy who will be back sometime to start mortaring it up.

The patio in context with the back of the house.

There you have it!  The patio house project going on outside, while I project away on the inside.

Let me go prepare the schoolroom for more pictures! =)