Cleaning House

We are working on laundry, putting clean clothes away, straitening up our bedroom, all while watching the Oscars.  We also had the Blue Gold dinner for Cub Scouts, where Jacob actually got on stage (with several other scouts) and did the ChaCha dance.  He hated every second of it, but he did it.  Proud of him for going up there for his table/team.

Fun With Grandmom and Grandfather

The kids have been enjoying time with Grandmom and Grandfather.

Redundant Busy Day

Not sure how many times I can say busy day, but it was a busy day again.  Kids to school, Jennifer and I to work,  Jacob and Joshua to swimming, Layne to Girl Scouts, Jacob to Cub Scouts, and then home to study.  Boy howdy, we should all need some IV fluids all the running around we do.

DONE!!

The Science Projects are done!  Major thanks to Judy for the help and the printing.  The results looked exceptional, very professional.  Jacob still had some paper work to complete.  I asked him what he was filling out.  I looked at the sheet and it was the same stuff on his presentation board.  I couldn't help myself, and asked why he had to fill out this paper when the same thing was on his board.  It just didn't and doesn't make sense.  There has been so much redundancy in this project.  I apologized for saying so, but told them I didn't think it made sense to fill out the sheet on top of having the presentation board.  Jacob finished filling out the sheet to complete the project, but man.  All they've done with this project is make them not want to learn.  They had a great time with the experiments, but they lost them after that (and the parents).

4th Grade Science Fair

Hate it!  I think I hate it even more than Jacob.  It doesn't help that it needs to be on the computer and we don't have a printer and it's due on Thursday.

Yippee!

Basketball Saturday

Layne made 3 goals!!!!!  It was awesome.  And I got them all on camera.   I will ask Matthew to post one of the videos.  It was so exciting and she is getting so much more confident.  (An addition, look how open Layne is for the shot, if you'll notice to the right of Layne on the screen is her team mate setting the pick, they executed it perfectly.)

Matthew is also having a great time being the coach.  He really makes a point of making sure everyone gets equal playing time.  He is complimentary and nice in his coaching.  He even took the time to tell one of the players on the other team today that she did a great job.

I love watching Layne play sports - whether it is soccer of basketball it sure is a lot of fun.  I think she would like softball, too.  At least that is what her mom liked to play :)

Mom and I went to Ikea.  Spent a little over 4 hours there.  Spent a little over $   (yeah, I don't think I am going to say the amount).   Got some great pictures for the furniture that we want to use for "built-ins" for the family room.  Picked up some necessary items (yeah, right - but you always find something useful).

Got a lot of baskets for the shelves in the foyer so that we can have the kids have their own basket for shoes and their own cubby for backpacks, school bags, etc.

Matthew and the kids worked hard on getting the linoleum up in the bathroom and Jacob had the job of getting all the staples up from the floor.  They pulled up more carpet in Layne's room.

I am hoping that we are able to pull up the carpet ourselves and save on that expense.  I am also hoping that we are able to get the re-painting done upstairs before getting the new carpet.  Just have to find the motivation.

Jacob got to go have a sleep over at Connor's house tonight.  This is with Connor's dad and this is the first time at dad's house.  It was about to kill him that he had to help out around the house before going to Connor's.  That boy would spend hours to avoid having to anything that didn't include reading, Nintendo, TV, or computer.

Layne is still trying to figure out how to have a sofa in her room.  I have insisted on a "No" for that request.

Still trying to find the right loft beds for the boys' room.  Thought I found them at Ikea, but they are tall and too wide.  I think they would have about 12" from the ceiling and about 24" apart in the air - yeah - need to keep looking.

Matthew planning on working tomorrow.  Will try and get Layne and Joshua and I to church in the morning.  Jacob should be back after church.  Mom is cooking dinner for all of us and the 3 kids will spend the night at their house as they don't have school on Monday.

It just stays busy.

Prayers and positive thoughts for our family in Louisville - we love you very much!

Just Busy

We're all very tired, still out of sorts with the house half torn apart and the other half an unmitigated mess.  We missed yesterday's post, but getting today's in.  I was able to get all of the towels and rugs washed and dried that we used to try and clean up the flood of 2011, that's a plus.  Now we've got to get back to taking care of our normal laundry, oh the joy.

We also need to get some pricing for carpet, that's one you just can't do online, gonna actually have to go to the store and talk to someone.  Well, that's gonna be it for tonight, I'm tired and not much going on, which I will gladly take given the long week.

I did go back and fill in the post from last weekend on the carrier so go check it out.

Waiting for the house to blow up now

Okay - really????  Today I come home and have a notice on the front door that they have "found a gas leak and turned off the gas"  and that I needed to call to arrange for the gas to be turned back on - really????  They couldn't tell me how they found a gas leak, if anyone had called, or if we needed be concerned inside the house.

Do you think that maybe the gas leak caused the water leak?  Anyone?  Please?

So I called Atlanta Gas Light and the time they can come turn the gas back on is between 9:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. Yippee!  No baths last night and no baths tonight.  The odor is going to become overwhelming.  At least Jacob and Joshua have swimming tomorrow and get some chlorine in their pores.  Hopefully there is enough chlorine to combat their germs.

We did make it to church and dinner tonight.  I guess that counts for something.

I really hope tomorrow holds no surprises. 

It's a Flood

We all left the house this morning between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.  It was a beautiful day.  We had sun and temperatures in the upper 50s.

I had to do some employee evaluations and review them with my manager.  That took about 3 1/2 hours.  I couldn't get any patient phone calls completed this morning because Dr. Flamini was with patients all morning and then with my meeting this afternoon I didn't even start making return phone calls until after 4:00 p.m.  I called Matthew and told him that I needed to work until 6:00 p.m.

Jacob and Joshua had swimming lessons today.  Sounds like only Jacob participated.  Matthew was going to "have a talk" but got distracted a little.  They had macaroni and cheese for dinner and then Matthew sent Jacob up to get in the shower.  I think it was at this point that Jacob said "Dad, the floor is wet upstairs".

Someone under the age of 40 years left the sink on in the kids' hall bathroom.  There were toys in the sink.  The sink ran all day.  Remember, we all left by 8:00 a.m.?  It was now 7:15 p.m.  The carpet splashed when you walked upstairs.

I called Matthew about 7:15 p.m. right at the moment of discovery.  I could tell he was not happy.  I still didn't have a clear picture of the extent.  But I did call my dad and asked that he bring the WetVac that they have over to the house to help Matthew out.

When I got home, there was very little progress on the mop-up.  The carpet in Layne's room was wet from the bathroom wall all the way over to the far edge of her bed.  The hall in front of the bathroom was wet and the first step on the stairs.  The wall in the closet of the bathroom was wet.

I told Matthew that I had to get the carpet pulled up.  We would have been days at that rate trying to soak up the water.  When we pulled up the carpet in the Layne's closet there was just standing water underneath the carpet pad.

This was the original, builder grade carpet that has been in this house since it was built in 1989.  It had never been changed.

If we had called someone to get the water up in the middle of the night and try and dry it out it just did not seem worth it to save this carpet. 

I admit it.  I was pathetic and called my Mommy to come over.  She and my dad were very helpful and made the work go so much faster.  The wood is already drying without the padding and carpet.  I think once everyone started seeing what we were pulling up it was decided this really was the way to address the issue.

Layne is with me tonight so we can dry out her room.

Matthew is with the boys.

I guess this is one way to push us to get Layne's room remodeled.

Here are some pictures with the carpet pulled up.

Oh - and who knew that Spiderman would come to the rescue?

Valentine's Day and One Whale of a Weekend

Happy Valentine's Day.  Still recovering from the hectic, but fun weekend.  Everyone is still tired and trying to recover.


I have a little more to say - go figure.

Matthew brought me home some beautiful flowers.

Joshua had a little help from Grandma and did make some hearts.  He was very distressed on Saturday that he could not make a heart.  I offered to help him and / or show him but he refused.  You know, he has to do it himself.  He woke up this morning distressed again.  I think he really wanted to make us some cards after seeing Layne work so hard all weekend.  He made valentine cookies and a card for each of us.

Layne got Matthew and I a very special gift for Valentine's Day.  It is a cute snow globe with hearts for snow.  She was so excited to give this to us.

Jacob didn't do anything for his family.  I know, I can hear the surprise and shock you are feeling.

Matthew got a few cool items from his wife today - but I will let him tell about those.  (this is a family friendly blog - get your mind out of the gutter)  The kids really wanted what I got him.  Hopefully we will use them soon.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

USS Yorktown

We arrived at the hotel Friday night, got up Saturday for our short drive to the carrier.  The weather said it was supposed to be in the low 60's.  Low 60's on the coast with wind blowing off the water on a steel ship does not feel like 60 degrees, it was COLD.  We were all cold, walking around with our hands in pockets, back to wind, and trying to stay in the direct sunlight.

We started off picking out our bunks, Jacob was very smart and got a great bunk that you could actually sit up in, there were only two of these in our room.  Grandfather was below Jacob and I was across from Grandfather.  The room we slept in was on the back of the ship.  Once settled in we did some of the set tours then did the "Medal of Honor" museum.  I didn't realize all the non military who were awarded the medal early on, it was pretty cool.  We continued on with the tours and then went topside to the flight deck and then the island.  It was hard to tell who was having more fun...Jacob with all the neat gadgets, planes, and models or Grandfather and his passing along the wealth of historic information. 

There was also a submarine that we walked through, this was Jacob's favorite.  It was a tight fit to get through that tour.  You had to be limber to duck your head and get your leg over the doorways simultaneously.

We came back to the carrier redid some of the tours that we wanted to see again.  Jacob pretended to sign the papers of the Japanese surrender of WWII.  Also liked comparing Jacob to the size of a 16" shell.  Kept talking about shooting Jacob out of the canon, he was just the right size.  

We all got to our bunks and I don't think any of us had a hard time going to or staying asleep.  It was a long, but fun day.

Loving traffic again

Got an email from my dad about 1:00 p.m. that recommendations were being made to avoid travel on GA400 and at the Old Milton Parkway / Northpoint Parkway intersection beginning at 12:00 noon today until after the evening rush hour.  Why, you ask?  Because our First Lady, Michelle Obama, came to speak on Childhood Obesity at one Northpoint Community Church.  Northpoint has over 20, 000 members that worship each Sunday - making it one of the largest churches in the country.  Not sure why she had to do the talk in a church - there are quite a few other venues in Atlanta that are not religious based for a non-religious talk.  Oh, well.  Lovely commute again - lots of cops and roads closed.

We got to church a little later than expected but had plenty of time to eat tonight before the kids went off to their classes.  All 3 are still enjoying this time at church and that means so much to me.  Glad they have a church family in their lives'.

Heard that Papa Jack planned it just right to go to Dunkin' Donuts on Old Milton and get a snack with Joshua to watch all the police and the motorcade.  You can just imagine Joshua trying to figure out if they had to use "hand cups" and "under arrest" the First Lady.

They had a survey tonight at church asking for suggestions for meals and for "favorite" meals.  I didn't have any favorite meals.  Matthew and I did have multiple suggestions.  Thankfully, they didn't ask you to write your name - or you might get "volunteered" if you have too many ideas - LOL.

Jacob's and Joshua's room is a nightmare.  I think they could be on an episode of Hoarders.  Isn't it lovely?

I told Matthew that I wish we were moving just so we had an opportunity to go through everything and get rid of STUFF!  I am just so overwhelmed right now.  I have been contemplating taking 2 weeks off just to stay in the house and try and get some control.

This is a picture of the silliness that happens right before bed - got to work on that too:

Swim Lessons begin again

Today was Joshua's very first swim lesson at the YMCA.  Grandma said he was a little hesitant at first.  Joshua's class is from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m.  and then Jacob has class afterwards from 5:00 to 5:45 p.m.

Jacob came and sat in the lane next to him to help ease him in to the class.  Thank you Jacob!

But then it looks like Joshua got in to the fun of it and had a blast.  The picture is a little dark but you can see the smile and hear the giggles.

 

Then we have Jacob in his swim lesson.  He looks more and more like he has Beiber Hair!!!!!! (you know, THE Justin Beiber that they love - NOT)  But telling him he looks like Justin Beiber grosses him out so much I might get him to cut his hair real short again.  So, of course, I call him Beiber Hair every chance I get. 

I met Grandma and Papa Jack at the YMCA and picked the boys up to go home.  Matthew went to school and picked up Layne.  So far so good - let's pray we all get to bed at a decent time tonight.  I have to be to work by 6:30 a.m. and we all know what a pleasant morning person I am.

Double Monday Post

I uploaded the Super Bowl pictures yesterday so I could "save my spot" and then write today - but I guess unless you publish your post when you edit it re-posts with the new date and time.  Lesson learned!

So - two posts for today.

We got up great.  Out of the house on our way to Ocee carpool by 7:10 a.m. and I actually made it to work by 8:00 a.m.  Still annoyed with the selfishness of the doctors right now - I need to get over that little issue.

Left by 4:30 and got both boys by 5:00 p.m.

Matthew and Layne had basketball practice tonight and got home about 6:15 p.m.

All of us are stopped up and feeling the change in weather.  Layne and Jacob and I with headaches today.  Joshua and Matthew with stuffy noses.  Joshua is not wanting to eat food and drinking a ton and so stuffy.  He is quite cranky and not himself.

Jacob and Joshua start swim lessons tomorrow.  Actually I should say that Jacob starts swim lessons again that Joshua starts them tomorrow.  Joshua is very excited to be taking "his own swim lessons".


I have definitely become a transplanted Southerner - it is February 7 and I can't wait for Spring.

Superbowl Sunday

Well - we splurged.  It has been about 9 years in coming - but the Atlanta Ganote Family has finally joined the HD / Flatscreen Age of TV.   Matthew had me worrying and apologizing for getting a raise last year (heaven forbid!) that we would now be in a higher tax bracket and not get any refund back.  He was worrying about it so much that he went this past Saturday to the accountant to get our taxes completed.  Well - lucky for us - we got even more back than last year!  It was Matthew's turn to do something for himself for a change.  He is pretty selfless when it comes to his family.

The kids think this was all for them - but whatever!  We can use that when we remind them of all we do.

So just in time for the Super Bowl TV deals on Saturday Matthew and the boys went to Best Buy and got us a REAL television.

Then Sunday Matthew and the boys went to Ikea to get a table for the TV.

Then Matthew and all 3 helpers put the table together.

We were ready to go by Half Time - whoo hooo!!!!!!

They were mesmerized - and then it was bedtime.

 

 A good day for all!

1 and 1

Well at least one of our teams won.  Layne's team was beautifully coached to their second win, but out cats lost their second in a row.

It was a good day overall, Josh is having trouble listening to his mom and dad, we need to work on that.

Work at Home Day

Just couldn't go in again today and deal with it again.  Even though I got paged, and called, and emailed about the same doctor and more issues today - it was still better to not be there with all the angst.

It was a dreary, rainy day in the northern Atlanta suburbs today.

Sounds like the kids had a good day.

Joshua took Diego toys to school today for Show-n-Tell.  Tonight is playing police withe the "handcups" and he is putting telling dad that he is "under arrested".  Now he just put the handcups on himself and is in jail (actually the laundry basket).  Why did we buy all those toys from the Lego store?????  The prisoner in the background looks like he's asleep.

Rough Day At Work

Jennifer had a rough day at work.  Some Doctors need to care about patients first and the paycheck second.

Lots of work

Very overwhelmed at work today.  The patient's needs were pretty overwhelming.  All I can say is I did my best until 9:00 p.m. and then had to call it a day.

Interesting how many patients are not able to get their mail order prescriptions because of the snow storm.  You just never know how you are going to be effected.

Matthew took the kids to Wendy's for dinner and then to church so that Jacob and Layne could go to Clue's Crew and Joshua to choir.

Sounds like it went okay.

It was chilly here today - but very sunny and I definitely felt better with the rain being gone.  Good to here that Punxatawny Phil thinks Spring is only 6 weeks away.  Can't wait!


I am a horrible Aunt Jennifer - I didn't call my niece Marisa on her birthday.  Happy "official" Birthday Marisa!

Dreary Day

Cold and rainy, just makes for a miserable day.  Took Jennifer forever to get home from work.  I picked up the kids and made some spaghetti.  It must have been decent, they all ate it.  Not much else to report.