I know I know

ground breaking in the fall of '09and the building continues fall '10Dec '10, we have the house and we are using it as we intended

Sheesh. -in a couple different ways.

1. Yes I know, I have not updated the blog in a while.
2.Wow, it has been a while since I updated.
3. It is interesting how motivation works.

So, we are in fact in the house in Elk Horn Ranch "Estates". In all the files, this house is the "new house" -which it still is- but I find it hard to refer to this place as the new house anymore. It seems more like "the" house. Well, we have been in the house since early December, which has given us..one, two...five months to unpack. And we are not there yet. (glad I'm not active duty anymore or we would have to PCS as soon as we got moved in) It has been interesting finding things we have not used in over two years....and then wondering why we kept it. And of course, there is stuff which I am looking for, and have not found yet. Then I wonder why I am still looking for it. ...in other words, we are getting another lesson in hoarding.

This summer, we plan to spend in the garage, getting all the boxes opened and all the contents put where they belong. And we are constantly thinking about the land around us, and how we fell short in the budget to get what we were planning on. So, the yard and how that is all going to happen is on our list.

I have a list developing of the few shelves and things that need to go up in the house, but those ideas are consistently shuffled aside with a wave of the hand by the E-10.

The kids are ready for summer, school-wise. Rileigh has informed us that she is fed up with school. Nice, as she has 11 more years before she graduates from high school. Otherwise 1st grade has gone well. Being in two separate classrooms has not had any visible adverse effects. Every now and then there will be a discussion about how they sing the alphabet song differently, or some other difference learning tool used in their respective class rooms. There does not seem to be any issues with having separate social circles. Ethan appears to be the more gregarious, which seems a bit odd to me. I was prepared for visa-versa. That may be to my view from a distance, and lets not be to hasty jumping to conclusions Mr. Halsted. All right, but it is in my nature. I know I shouldn't, but I'm like the scorpion riding on the fox's back. I drown too, but I just couldn't help myself in stinging the fox. -I digress-

It is interesting to see how fast they have picked up some concepts. Listening to them read now is much different than the struggles they had in September. Even though I am a little impatient sometimes with the fact that they are in 1st grade, it is impressive to see what they can do. -I remember getting an Internet joke a few years back, where a guy graded his kids' efforts from preschool (or something). "Fire trucks are not blue, F"

Four more weeks, and they will be free of the rigorous schedule of elementary school, and stuck in the mire of being home with nothing to do all day. (I'm not ready for that)

Riles is at Gymnastics twice a week, and Ethan goes once a week. Though they both are progressing well, Riles seems more enthusiastic about growing in this area. Keelie has attended some mother toddler gym, though not all that much as schedules have not favored that endeavour.

Ethan is the only one in soccer at the moment. They have progressed from a small field and little goals, to a field half the size and goals 1/4 the actual size. They are working on position now, and passing, which is a relief to me. Watching maggot ball was rather taxing. It is still a little straining on the nerves to watch them struggle with off-sides, and moving to an open space, and covering positions, and throwing the ball in to your own teammate, and....oh ...yeah, they are only 6-8 yr olds. The point is, it is better than it was, the improvement is apparent. ....and there is still so much more to go.

Keelie is up and about. Seems like she should be getting up with the twins and heading to school, sometimes. She counts. She "says" her ABC's. OK, we can't get any official awards for what she can do, but she does seem to be getting along better than the twins. And then, we come to the part about how she is trying on this whiny, if I cry I'll get what I want shtick. ugh. Its almost like two steps forward three steps back. She also seems to be more vocal than the twins ...put together. Very active. Either up, or down. So we get fussy baby, who is inconsolable and then a moment latter happy sunshine rainbows and lollipops child. And it goes from good to bad as well as bad to good. I would say borderline schizophrenic, because its like the first mood never existed, when she switches mood. Keeps Dad on his toes. I tend to want to: "Hey, wait! what was so terrible a few moments ago, and now I'm supposed to be all cool?". I suppose this should be a lesson for me to "let things go", "water under the bridge", "yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery" type thing.