Last week of March...First week of April

Wow....this week has flown!! Thank goodness for that because I have been at work A LOT this week and I don't like how disorganized and thrown off it makes me feel. It is so strange to think that yet another Maine winter is finally behind us and Spring is here now that it is April. Over the weekend, the male members of the family designed and built our new deck. I've wanted one since we moved in...we have sliders that looked really funny for five years, not to mention I never could quite reach out far enough to WASH THEM!! Well, since the mortgage company finally decided they would require such a thing of us (5 days before our carpenter--Ed's Dad--left for Florida for 3 weeks!!), Ed's Dad, and my brother-in-laws and four boys got together in the pouring rain (time limit, time limit) and got much of it put up. Monday morning rolled around and major thunderstorms rolled in, just as "Deda" (the kids fancy name for their Grandpa) and I were about to put the decking on and the railings/benches up. We got a lot of it done even though we waited for the storms to clear. It was cold and miserable but in the end so worth it....for me at least!! So, the plan is to finish it and have the "inspector" come ASAP to get the new mortgage all squared away--lots of fun :) :)
In the puppy world--they are HUGE!! They're all running around, playing and having a blast in life. Very simple, very cute life!! One little boy whines all the time if he isn't sleeping or eating--I know, enter "male slam comment", but I'll defer :) :) Then there is another little girl who seems to Reeeeeallly want to learn to bark. It comes out as this high pitched, loud YIP every time! If you aren't expecting it, it startles you. Calvin lifts her up and tells her, "Don't worry! some day you'll get your bark". LOL Funny guy!! It was even funnier when he told me that line was from "Bow Wow Chihauaha" hahaha--I think he meant Beverly Hills Chihauaha.
The kids are doing pretty well. I was incredibly thankful we made it through April Fool's Day since all I heard for hours after school was joke after joke after joke---ugggghhh!!! All five love Ed's new job and Ed seems to be fitting in nicely at the Y. He is exercising and enjoying dealing with local kiddos and co-workers. It's nice to see him so happy. I know to some degree he misses Sweetser, but I also know he had been ready for a change for a while. On that Monday morning when he headed to the Y for the first time as the "Director of Camp and Recreation", despite the usual arguing needed to motivate the kids, somewhere inside me, I got this very nostalgic feeling. It was like the feeling I get as I send my child on the bus for the first day of Kindergarten--it was like sending my baby on the bus! I am now dreading the day I bring Em to school for the first time. Many parents are thankful when all their kids are in school--not me. I enjoy being a mom and have enjoyed the preschool years. I'm trying to get myself ready and have been better about bringing Em to preschool daily, but I really miss her. I think summer break will be nice this year, and I enjoy having the kids around. Granted, come the middle to end of August, when I've heard "I'm bored" 25 times in the last hour, I have a few moments where I can't wait for school to start. As soon as it does though, I miss them again. Even with all their goofy quirks and little annoyances, they're great kids :) :) I do wish the boy egos and fighting and the girl sassiness would magically disappear, but I suppose God has to give us something to keep us on our toes!!
Well, the hour is nearing 1 am and I haven't even played one game of Bejeweled on FaceBook!! Gonna run and aim for #1 since I'm currently at least 5th!! But..that will be for another post :) :)