Tuesday, December 23, 2008

"I Spy" Trentadue Christmas 2008

Find the following items to see what we’ve been doing this year!


- Lion – This was Josh’s first school project crafted from styrofoam and pipe cleaners.
- #3 – Caleb turned 3 this year! He is quite the character and keeps us all laughing!
- Pacifier – Brooks was born October 3, 2008. He weighed 9 lbs. 11 oz, 21 inches long!
- 3 GI JOE guys – Mike is reliving his childhood by getting the boys into GI JOES!
- Key – KaLisi is in the Relief Society Pres., and finally got her own keys to the building.
- #7 – Josh will be turning 7 in January… he is a great big brother and helps out so much!
- Curious George – The theme of Caleb’s first “kid b-day party”.
- #2 – Brooks is in his 2nd month so far! He’s smiling, cooing and even laughing!
- Candy bar – Mike teaches Sunday School at our church and uses candy to bribe the kids.
- Vampire teeth – KaLisi’s recently read the Twilight Series… who knew vampires would be so interesting.
- Quarter – Josh has lost 2 teeth this year… and loves those visits from the tooth fairy!
- Paintbrush - Caleb loves to paint... he’s getting to be a pro at water colors.
- Watch – Brooks is sleeping through the night… 8-10 hours straight, and Mom feels great!
- CTR ring – Josh is a CTR in primary and is memorizing all the Articles of Faith.
- Sunglasses – Caleb will be entering Sunbeams in primary this January.
- #1 – Josh is in 1st grade this year with Mrs. Burke! He is reading, and loves school!
- Toothbrush – Caleb’s first visit to the dentist! He did great, and charmed the hygienists!
- Baseball – Josh did machine pitch baseball this fall and never struck out!


We have had a wonderful year and feel very blessed to have three
happy, healthy, boys that keep us busy!

We have loved hearing from all of you, our friends and family, and
hope that this finds you all happy and safe! And know that we
appreciate your love and friendship!

But most importantly, we’re grateful for this time of year to celebrate
the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and to enjoy the holiday season!

We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Love, The Trentadue’s
Mike, KaLisi, Josh, Caleb and Brooks

Saturday, October 25, 2008

What?!?!?!?!?!?!?

First of all... as most of you know, I have spent HOURS on the phone over the past 4 months talking to LG, the manufacturer of our incompetent dishwasher trying to get them to give us a cash refund... or to replace the dishwasher with another brand, since I have little to no faith in LG and they have been unable to fix the dishwasher we have! I even shed a few tears over this due to my unintentional flow of emotions as a result of my hormonal and somewhat unstable state of mind due to pregnancy and even post-partum blues! And all of this was completely in vain, and not one person had any sympathy on me whatsoever! They kept saying, they couldn't change their policies. But because our dishwasher cannot be fixed, LG finally agreed to replace the piece of junk with (in my opinion) another piece of LG Junk... So, our current options are to go into Best Buy and pick out one with "compatible technology" that still falls within the price range that we paid for our original dishwasher. And if there is not one available within the price that we originally paid, we will have to pay the difference. great options, eh?

So, Mike waltzed into Best Buy the other day to pick out the dishwasher... and said that he did not want to exchange it with another LG, but wanted something else. He had to pay a $60 install fee, but he ended up with a Whirlpool! It was that easy!

Although I'm very happy that I don't have to see another LG Dishwasher come through my front door... I am very confused and disappointed that I spent so much time haggling and debating over this... and they were very firm about not letting us get anything but LG. And then Mike (a man) walks in and says literally 7 words and 5 minutes later, he got what I have been trying to get for months!

I'm trying not to be bitter and loose sleep over this... but really, what's up with that???

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

We're hangin' in there!

Every week Josh is supposed to write out all his spelling words and then use them in a sentence. Last week one of his words was "clog". Here is the sentence he wrote: "I can clog the toylite." (translation... toylite=toilet) He said that his teacher laughed pretty hard at that one! Classic!

************************************************************

As for news... we are all doing pretty well and we're starting to adjust to life with a newborn again! Although it's difficult to predict things.... Here are the top 5 things I've learned and am more prepared for the 3rd time around... in no particular order.

1. Never trust a burp.
2. Never trust the containment quality of a diaper.
3. Never trust a boy without a diaper on... even for a second.
4. Never trust a 3 year old in the same room with a newborn... even for a second.
5. Never expect to get 4 hours of sleep... if it happens, it's a pleasant surprise!

Here are Brooks' greatest achievements for the past 2 1/2 weeks of his little life!
1. Can lift up his head... and look around
2. Focuses on objects and is more alert
3. Has smiled a few times... and shown us all his cute little dimple!
4. Has slept 5 consecutive hours a couple of times... we're hoping the "flukes" eventually turn into habit!
5. Manages to poop his pants immediately after getting a fresh diaper... this is his classic move... I know he thinks it's hilarious! Our record was 3 diapers in one changing.
6. Has mastered the binky... but he's also mastered flipping that sucker right out when he doesn't want it.
7. Has gained weight like a champ... last time we weighed him he was 10 lbs. 8 oz... but I'm sure he's pushing 11 lbs by now!
8. Has captured all our hearts... including Josh and Caleb... and we just love him to death!

As for pictures... I've been so slow at downloading my camera! oops! So hang in there... I'll post more soon!
I'm out!

********************************************************************

On a side note... 4 months have gone by... and we still don't have a working dishwasher! Although LG has finally agreed to replace it, I'm not breathing a sigh of relief until it's installed and can successfully wash a load of dishes! Word to the wise...

NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!!
NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!!
NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!!
NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!!
NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!!
NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!!
NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!!
NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!!
NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!! NEVER BUY LG!!!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Forgotten Posts

"First day of First Grade"
Josh was very excited for school and rode the bus on he first day! His teacher is Mrs. Burke, and he is enjoying everything! And his reading has improved dramatically (and he is actually enjoying reading), even within the first month or so! Way to go Josh!!!





"Dentist Appointments... Caleb's first visit!"
Permanent molars for Josh... plus 2 new permanent teeth!
Caleb's first dentist appointment... and once again he was chatting it up with the hygenists!

Both boys were cavity free! HOORAY!


Caleb's Comments


My mom has been here since Oct 4th, and we are loving every minute of it! While Grandma (my mom) was holding Baby Brooks, Caleb wanted to play with Grandma... Caleb said, "Grandma, you can put down Brooks, he won't run away!"

He's just full of them!!! The other day we went to get the boys hair cut... and while Josh sat quietly in the chair and hardly said a word... Caleb was giving his stylist an ear-full of the latest town gossip! Never a dull moment with Caleb around!!!

Friday, October 10, 2008

Brooks Wesley Trentadue

It is true... babies do come out eventually!!! ... I have to admit, I was starting to wonder!

Brooks Wesley Trentadue arrived on Friday, Oct. 3, 2008 at 4:04 p.m. He weighed 9 lbs. 11 oz. and was 21 inches long! Both big brothers are very excited and have been a huge help... putting in the binky, fetching diapers... and just being cooperative and playing so great together! We're also lucky enough to have Grandma (my mom) here with us! phew! And although we're still working out the kinks, Brooks could not be much easier. he's already sleeping great at night (sometimes 4 hours at a time) and is so laid back and content. LOVE IT!!!

Now for those of you who want a little more details (I promise not to get too gorey)... keep reading... if not, just check out the pix of our lil' dude!




"Awesome Big Brothers" - they painted these t-shirts themselves and were so proud of their creations! They even made a little shirt for Baby Brooks! ("Awesome Lil' Brother!")







I know, I know... check out that hair! he has the "do" of a baby chick... and despite the combing, it likes to stick straight up!






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A few more details....
For those of you not so fortunate as to hear my complaining... I had been pretty uncomfortable for the past couple months. lots of back pain, fatigue, and pressure from a moving, ever-growing baby... the usual pregnancy stuff. But the last several weeks were especially hard since I was continually having contractions/braxton hicks. By 37 weeks, I was 3 cm... so I was encouraged that things were moving along.

My last drs. appt was scheduled for Oct 3 at 9:00a.m., so I got Josh off to school, and went to my appointment. I was feeling a little "sluggish", but nothing out of the ordinary... so when my doctor said that I was definitely 5 cm, I was a little more the shocked. At this point, she couldn't let me go home like that... so they wheeled me in wheelchair over to the hospital. (a little embarrassing, I might add... but they wouldn't let me walk by myself... despite the fact that I drove myself to the hospital and walked in there by myself. that's how us Alaskan women do things, ya know!)

Anyway, the nurses were a little more then surprised when I "waltzed" into my room at 5 cm and feeling no pain. go figure! But they broke my water, and I started making a few calls... first and foremost, calling my husband to come in immediately.... calling the school to arrange for Josh to be picked up... calling my mom and sisters... and settling in to watch "Regis and Kelly". Things got moving a little bit, but they gave me a "whiff" of petocin to get things going a little faster. I was toying with the idea of doing this without an epidural, but it didn't take much back-labor before I felt completely out of control at 7cm... in fact, I remember breaking down at one point and crying to the doctor that I just couldn't do this anymore... not my best moment.... and that I was ready for that big 'ole needle! So, a few contractions later, things eased up a bit, but the contractions never completely went away before it was time to have a baby! I felt a "little" (the term "little" is used rather loosely here) more then I had expected (which turned out to be a good thing), and 3 contractions later, Brooks was born!

My mom flew in the next night... and I got to see her on Sunday morning, when they all (Mike, Mom, Josh and Caleb) came to take me and Brooks home!

Since then, we've been working out the kinks of having a newborn again... and after tweaking a few things, Brooks is sleeping great at night... and is pretty content during the day! We all love him very much and are enjoying spending time with our "big" guy!

Thanks for all your emails and words of congrats... it means so much to us!

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Holy Cow... it's been 9 years!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!!!

Today is our 9th Anniversary... it's hard to believe that it's been this long... and here we are, about ready to have our 3rd baby! Crazy how fast it goes! Although I'm embarrassed to admit that I haven't done much reflecting on the day we got married, because I'm pretty occupied with having a baby these days. poor Mike... I didn't even buy him a gift!

But we have plans on going out to dinner tonight for the last time before having a newborn, so you can imagine how excited I am. I just hope I don't go into labor at the restaurant!

Anyway, here's a few fun things about Mike that I love!... His personality! ... his sense of humor, and sometimes his sarcasm. I appreciate his work ethic, and never worry about him taking care of our needs! He loves our boys....and is pretty darn proud of them! I love that he loves sports and that he gets pure joy out of watching Josh and Caleb perfect their "baseball skills"! He gives great gifts... and it's usually the talk of the neighborhood! He does have a sensitive, but he's not over the top mushy, which would drive me CRAZY... and on occassion he has been known to be even romantic! :) I love that he loves my family...
And honestly, I could go on... but overall, I'm very to have such a fun guy for a husband! So cheers... to 9 years... and many more to follow!!!



Outside the Anchorage, Alaska temple.



just being silly!


Here we are NOW!!!... me, I'm a little chubbier... but I'm 7 months prego in this pix!

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Another funny Caleb

Caleb is full of surprises... here's another funny story.

One day he realized that I had something he didn't have... boobs! Here's how the conversation went...

Caleb: What are these, Mom?
Mom: Oh, it's just part of my body.
Caleb: (not satisfied with that answer)... why you have these?
Mom: Well, that's how I'll feed the baby.
Caleb: (still looking quite confused)
Mom: That's how the baby gets milk.

little pause....

Caleb: There chocolate milk in there?

Aaaaahhhhh Caleb... we love you!!!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Funny Caleb

Caleb and I were discussing a few matters of serious importance about the new baby this morning... here's how our conversation went.

Caleb: The baby sleeping? (as he lifts up my shirt to get a good look)
Mom: I think so.
Caleb: Let's wake him up, okay?
Mom: Okay, give him a little pat.
Caleb: How big is the baby?... he going to be wittle? (the whole time he's rubbing my tummy trying to wake him up)
Mom: Yes... he'll be about "this" big. Do you want to hold him when he comes out?
Caleb: only when he's wittle.

long pause....

Caleb: His mommy going to come out of your tummy too?
Mom: No, because I'm the baby's mommy.

long pause....

Caleb: No... you're MY mommy!
Mom: Well, I'm Josh's mommy, I'm your mommy... can I be the baby's mommy too?
Caleb: No, I don't want you to be the baby's mommy too.

Oh oh... we might be in for some trouble!


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Update on Josh....
Josh lost his second tooth on Sunday morning... he manages to do when no one is around, so we have yet to see the actual "losing of the tooth"... but I guess the gap is proof enough. So far he's lost the two bottom front ones!

He's also full "swing" into Fall Baseball! So far he's had 2 games and he's done great both times! Although it's a bit of a nail-biter, it's so much more exciting then T-Ball! And he's learning the ups and downs of the game first-hand... getting tagged out.... not getting to hit every inning because the boys ahead of him got out... and the stress of hitting the ball! But he's managing it well! GO JOSH!!!!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

1st grade

I'm slow to post pictures of Josh's first day because they are on Mike's camera that he uses for work... but they will be coming shortly.

But he's had a first couple weeks... His teacher is Mrs. Burke and he is in the same class as one of his good friends... so what could be better. He wasn't nervous at all on the first day... he wanted to ride the bus and everything. (I always preferred to be taken to my classroom by mom on my first days of school). But he did just fine! And although I don't get a lot of details out of him, he does enjoy school because he pops right out of bed every morning and can't wait to get out the door!

And even Caleb is getting used to the idea of him being gone. And when Josh gets home, they play so great together... a little time apart every day must be doing some good... because on a good day, they will play together for sometimes 2 hours with no fighting! As I'm typing this, they are singing a beautiful medley of "America the Beautiful" and the "GI-JOE Theme Song".

Which brings us another thing... Josh is getting into Gi Joe's, which Mike is loving! Mike played with Gi-Joe's when he was younger, and so they have the best time having wars. And I have been priviledged to have taken part in my first Gi-Joe Battle, when Mike wasn't around. And believe it or not, there are many rules to keep track of. The first, is to build your fort... and this is an important part of the process. You have to make sure there is plenty of coverage and places for snipers to hide. And then once the battle starts, you have to announce where your guys is shooting... and who he shoots... and a guy isn't completely dead, until he lands completely flat on the ground... If an arm or leg is still up in the air, he's not dead... he's only wounded, so he's still able to limp or crawl over to another fallen comrad, take possession of his gun and keep fighting. Playing this way, does lengthen the amount of time that I have to use my "machine-gun sound effects", so it actually can be quite exhausting. Not to mention helicopter and jet fighter attacks!

I even tried to end the game early, by giving up and saying that all my guys were dead. But Josh was carefully keeping track and informed me that I had still 4 guys that were covered by debree, but really, they were still alive and well.... and that I could try to take over his tank if I wanted.

Anyway, back to school.... he is doing well getting his homework and chores done every day... and just seems to be getting so big and mature!

And last night, we had our first baseball practice of the season. He's in machine-pitch now... and it was his first time hitting off the machine! HE DID GREAT!!! He hit the ball almost every time... some were fouls... but at least he was connecting with the ball the majority of the time! I was so proud! Saturday is our first game... and I can't wait to see him in action! I'll break out my telephoto lense and get some good pictures for sure!

That's it for now!

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Happy 3rd Caleb!!!... Aug 30th

Caleb was so excited about his birthday this year (August 30th)! He would stop people in the store to let them know that it was his birthday and that he was 3! He is just a fun kid! Here are just a few of the things that I love about him...
- he's so outgoing for such a little guy.
- he still likes to give kisses
- he says thank you all the time... and even reminds big bro Josh to say thank you. my favorite line, "thank you sooo much, mom!"
- he is independent and likes to entertain himself
- he likes to read, and when I read him books, he has to repeat everything himself.
- he likes to do whatever Josh is doing
- he's POTTY TRAINED!!!
- he's got quite the personality and makes us laugh literally every day!
- he likes to be the one to say the prayer... and if he's not saying it, he usually tries to top the person saying it by repeating everything over them.
- he recently started incorporating the word, "actually" into his vocab. it's hilarious! especially since Josh did the same thing when he was 3.
- sleeps in a big boy bed... and actually goes right to sleep (most of the time), without getting out of bed or keeping Josh awake.
- he likes to have his picture taken
- likes to help do chores like vacuuming and washing windows... but pretty much refuses to pick up toys. He even goes as far to say, "No, Josh do it by himself!"
- likes to talk on the phone...
- and a million more things... but mainly, it's not hard to love this kid! We just can't help ourselves and love on him and kiss him! We're so glad that he's in our family!!!






Josh was pretty impressed with my "bean bag toss" monkey that I drew and painted. Although Mike just had to point out that the "banana" looked more like a corn cob, then a banana. Now, Josh says, "Nice corn cob, Mom!" I never get a break around here with all these boys... imagine my life a few years from now when I have 4 boys teasing me! (sigh!)



HAPPY BIRTHDAY CALEB!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

Sunday, August 31, 2008

When will it end???

I'm 8 months pregnant and I thought the days of nausia and sensitivity to smells was behind me... but today as I was washing my dishes (still by hand, by the way), the smell of my dish soap sent a clear message that the urge to throw up is still very close at hand. And then, minutes later, I opened a cabinet in the kitchen that houses odd-ball items such as matches, band-aids, etc.... and a familiar smell came wafting out... that of an air freshener that I banned to the cabinet because the smell made me sick. Once again these normally pleasant aromas, triggered the unpleasant "gag-reflex", which was thankfully not accompanied by the "throw-up reflex"... but disturbing none the less.

Friday, August 29, 2008

have you heard???


Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, just got chosen as John McCain's VP!!! Many of you know I am from Alaska, so this just is so exciting that Alaska gets put on the map for something this big! This morning on Fox & Friends, they were trying to figure out who McCain was choosing... they received word that a plane from Anchorage landed in Ohio... but they also heard that Palin was supposed to make an appearance at the Alaska State Fair in Palmer, Alaska... MY HOME TOWN....Turns out she missed the fair, but just hearing my home town (along with other cities where I have been and know of) on national news puts a little butterfly in my stomach!!!

And honestly, I don't know a lot about her... I know that she is completely family oriented with 5 children.... the youngest of which is down syndrome and she just had recently (since being in office).... so she's completely PRO LIFE. And she has strong views about the whole oil thing and is taking drastic measures against the big oil companies and has WON!

Anyway, I'm not what you would call the "political type" (drives Mike crazy, by the way... he's always surprised that I even choose to watch the news occasionally of my own free will) ... and I know as much about politics as I do about cars... I know where to put the gas nozzle, and I know the difference between Democrat and Republican. (sad, I know) But, if you don't know much about Palin and wonder if this young, unknown is up to the challenge... do a little research and keep your eye on her... Who knows, you just might be surprised at what us Alaskan women can do!!!

Thursday, August 28, 2008

More beach adventures (August 15-22nd)

We rode our bike to the beach several times... which was about a 20 minute bike ride... but when you're traveling with an 8-month prego, it's closer to 30 minutes! Caleb had fun riding in the cart... and Josh rode a tandem with either me or Mike. My favorite was riding with Josh, because he helped me pedal!


But aside from playing in the "waves" (the term "waves" is used loosely, since it's a shallow beach, so it's not exactly white water), we also had fun playing in the sand. It was definately a family affair and we all had a part in the sand castle city! Mike was the general contractor (he had the general vision, but also dug the moats and built the outer walls)... Josh was the excavator (he cleared away the sand bulldozer style and helped with the outer walls)... Caleb was the landscaper (and dug some fabulous holes for lakes and ponds)... and I was the Interior Designer (I strategically placed all the towers). Mike's Dad said it looked like Zarahemla... although that wasn't what we were planning... I do believe it bears a slight resemblence!





Another day, we rode our bikes to South Beach, where they have a lot of shops and restaurants... and the main attraction is 3 parrots who are perched outside "The Salty Dog". They encourage you to talk and wave to them because they supposedly talk. But except for their "screaming", as Caleb put it, we weren't lucky enough to witness their extended bird vocabulary... and Caleb not being a fan of the loud shrieks didn't stick around the birds for long.




The last day we were there, we were seeing the results of Hurricane Fae (from Florida), with a lot of rain. But it was our last day, and so were determined to make one last trip to the beach. The rain seemed to be holding off, so we packed up the trailer and jumped on our bikes. By the time we got to the beach, we could see the dark clouds coming, the wind was picking up, and a few rain drops could be felt. We walked out onto the beach to find the wind whippin'...and the boys weren't too fond of the stinging sand on their legs, and we could barely hold onto the boogie boards! But it was quite a sight! Normally the water is pretty calm... but that day it had huge waves roaring in, and I have to admit, it was quite impressive! (our video and pictures just don't do it justice) But we decided it wasn't worth someone drowning, so we headed back and found a pavilion just in time to avoid a huge and sudden DOWNPOUR! I talked Mike into waiting out the rain... and we ended up hanging out with another family with 2 boys for about an hour until the rain stopped.

We went out to the beach to take a look, and although the waves were still huge, the sun was trying to peek out, so we decided to stay as long as we could before the weather turned again! Josh ended up having a great time with the other kids... and they boogie boarded and body surfed/got slammed for a little over an hour! And there was a huge stump that washed up onto the beach, and I was surprised how all the boys (including the Dads) were so fascinated by a large, gnarly piece of wood! Nevertheless, it entertained them for quite a while! And although Caleb was a little hesitant of the waves, he enjoyed being hit by the water and swept up the beach!

We were having a great time... and then, in a matter of seconds, the rain started POURING again! We grabbed all our stuff and made our way to our bikes, packed up and prepared for the 30 minute bike-ride back to the condo. Again, I tried to talk Mike into waiting out the rain, but he wanted to just get on the road. So away we went! We were literally soaked after 2 minutes... and with rain pouring down our faces and into our eyes, it was difficult to see where we were going (especially me, sporting my contact lenses!) Mike didn't say much... but I couldn't help but laugh... Caleb couldn't help but cry every once in awhile... and Josh couldn't stop shivering! But overall, it turned out to be a fun day, spent with complete strangers, in the rain! Unfortunately, it was raining too hard to get a picture of us completely drenched... so you'll have to use your imagination!

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And considering that we had an 8 hour drive home, both boys did so great! We only made 2-3 quick stops to use the restroom and get gas, they were both very patient and well-behaved travelers! Thank goodness, of course, to the DVD player, Leapster Games, and the fact that they are both experienced travelers from making multiple 12+ hour trips to Alaska! And I feel that it's worth mentioning that our potty-training Caleb didn't even have an accident the whole trip! Hallelujiah!

Monday, August 25, 2008

Trip to the beach!

We drove down to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina last week... and spent a week playing at the beach, the pool and riding bikes! This year the boys tried out Boogie Boarding... and were quite successful in spite of the small waves. Josh's favorite part was body surfing in the deeper water! Caleb had more fun trying to jump over the waves... and hit the waves with his hands!
Here's just a few pix... but there will be a few more to come.




Wednesday, August 13, 2008

I know, I know... it's been awhile

It's not that I haven't wanted to post... I have... but I've been in denial about my most recent act of stupidity and have been embarrassed to admit what happened. I won't go into all the details (mainly for my own dignity), but I lost all my pictures on my computer! Most of them were backed up on CD's... but I had been lazy about backing up the last year and a half... thinking that I would get to it sometime. I did get some recovery software and managed to save a lot of pictures. But there is no way to tell what I have, or don't have because they are a complete mess!!! No dates, no type of order... it's literally PANDAMONIUM! So I will be spending the next several weeks organizing pictures and trying to make some sense out of this digital mess!

And it's taken me up until now to console myself about the whole thing... but I think that everything will be okay... so I'll start posting pictures again soon.

****************

Just a little update on the boys....

Josh has been having fun at a sports' camp this week. He has been going from 9-12 every day with a friend from school, and he's loving it! He is working on his reading... and although he gets frustrated, he's doing better. But he loves to write and has been doing a journal entry several times a week. But he's seriously into Lego Kits right now.... he'll spend hours putting together planes and helicopters and submarines... right now he's saving up his $$$ to buy the Indiana Jones set.

Caleb is quite the character... he is talking so well now... and he can talk to pretty much anyone/anywhere! Sometimes it's kind of embarrassing because he stops people in the store, at the pool, etc... and talks their ear off. Lately, he's fascinated with the doctor's office, and whenever I have my check-ups (which are every 2 weeks now), he has a list of questions for her. He's into cars and motorcycles... and whatever Josh is doing. He's also getting ready to turn 3... which he is very excited about!

Mike is working hard.... and trying to tie up all the loose ends before we head to the beach this week... this will be our last little vacation before the baby comes, so hopefully we'll get good and relaxed! Mike, like Caleb, is also into cars... and recently motorcycles too... he keeps trying to convince me that him getting a motorcycle would be a good investment and save us $$$ on gas. I'm having a hard time picturing a real estate agent riding around on a bike... pulling out contracts out his backpack... and showing people houses in his little side-car. At this point in time, I am NOT giving my blessing on such a reckless way of transportation... no offense if anyone has a motorcycle... but I'm just not the "daring type" right now. He thinks I'm being ridiculous and jokes about buying one anyway and asking for forgiveness later. I joke about changing my last name back to Grover and asking for alimony later! :)

Friday, August 01, 2008

ANOTHER dishwasher dilema

Sorry to keep talking about the dishwasher... but the repair man came back today (this will be his 3rd trip) to try and fix it. The whole time Caleb kept asking "Is the dishwasher man going to fix the dishwasher?" I'm confused why he's as anxious as I am, since he's only 2. But once again, he couldn't get it fixed! It's been 5 1/2 weeks people... I'm getting annoyed!

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Don't buy LG


For the past several weeks... actually 4 weeks, 3 days, 5 hours and 16 minutes.... I have been without a dishwasher. In a previous post, I was actually enjoying the time doing dishes by hand... however, I have come to realize that we did not spend hundreds of dollars in order to use it as a fancy double-decker drainer! And after we have had technicians look at it, parts ordered, etc., no one seems to know what's wrong with it! So here we are a month later, and we're still waiting on parts... and I'm tired of doing dishes by hand... blame it on my achin' prego back... but I'm done doing things the old-fashioned way!

So after 1 1/2 hours on the phone with the manufacturer of said dishwasher (LG Brand), I have come to realize that LG is a difficult company to work with... LG parts are not easy to come by... so I'm sending this post out to the masses... or at least the few people who actually read this blog... as a WARNING... if you are contemplating buying any LG product, BUYER BEWARE!!! Don't be fooled by their sleek appearance and lower prices... stick to the companies that have been around FOREVER! According to the repair man, they hardly ever get calls on Maytag or Whirlpool appliances!... so I'm sticking with them from now on!

As for our dishwasher, we may get a replacement, and there's a slight chance they will offer us a refund. If that's the case, I'm taking the $$$ and running for the nearest Whirlpool dealer and never looking back!!!