Five Boys Happy Home

What we are thankful for:

I think one of the best things we have done yet is encourage Jack to try scouting. He was unsure about it at first, but he is really having fun now.  He is in Tiger Cub Scouts, which is a group for 1st graders. It is right here in Roxborough. That in itself is rare enough to make it an ideal extracurricular activity.  So far he and his den have completed three merit badges! We are so excited for him.  I finally got a chance to snap a picture of him before he went. The uniform tends to be taken off on the way home.  Backyard Jungle, Games Tigers Play, and My Family's Duty to God 

I have this first photo on my refrigerator. Today I realized that it reminded me of the photo on my iPod of the kids with my dad. I'm sure there's a bit of me in all four of them, but Spencer and I have very similar mischievous grins. And the same sideways look that Jack is giving.  Just thought it was cute. And a good picture of the boys with Papa. He hasn't changed much, eh?

Happy second Monthday to Duncan! He is such a happy little guy. Smiling and laughing at us. (With us?)  He is looking at his brothers as I took this picture.  Our visit to the doctor went well. He is just where he needs to be developmentally.  He is also growing quickly! He weighed 10 lb 8 oz, and came in at just over 23 inches long!  The nurse measures his length twice. At first I thought it was so she could verify that he was not as long as expected. To my surprise it was just the opposite. It was to double check how tall he is! (Can you tell she knows our family?) Duncan is in the 75% for his length!!!  WHAT?!? I was surprised too. Neat!  Jack went in to check his height and weight as well. Great news here. 40 + lbs and taller too (45"!!). His medicine is working and we don't have to check his growth outside the annual checkup.  Logan has a Duncan of his own, and he wanted a picture of both of them. Pretty cute! And Logan has been a great dad to his...

All of the cleanup during Step 1 freed a lot of space under the counters. Funny how much you collect over the years but don't use.  Another reason I had stuff unused was it was hard to get to, so I didn't know what was there.  So, because we decided to keep our cabinets, we could invest a bit into making the cabinets more useful.  I am still waiting for a coupon or sale to buy two additional drawers for the Tupperware cabinet, but these items will do wonders for accessibility!  Thanks Container Store! They have the only drawers I have found capable of being mounted higher in the cabinet, not just on the floor. Way better than the old half shelf. These are the same drawers we used a couple of years ago in our pantry cabinet to make it useful.  We have a few outside projects to finish while we have the Bagster, and before the cold weather comes, then we can get into painting the cabinets.  ** I should mention that the metal slider for pans is actually by Rev-...

Well, I just wanted to let everyone know that Logan had outpatient surgery on the 2nd to close his umbilical hernia. He did great, and it seems to be healing well. Here he is building a person out of toys as a school project: We did not know he had a hernia until his last annual physical. It was a surprise!  We had known about Jack's early on because it was so obvious we asked about it. We also know Duncan has one to repair when he turns four. Now we will be surprised if Spencer doesn't have a hernia! 

It took a couple of weekends, but phase two of our renovation is complete.  We have finished installing the new countertops, sink, and faucet. The faucet was taller than our previous one, so we had to cut out part of the old bar to accommodate it.  At least we know that the new bar needs to be narrower.  The next steps are painting the cabinet and walls, selecting a backsplash, and installing some cabinet drawers and organizers.  We hope to be finished by Christmas! Yay!!