Evan and His Journal

This morning I was awakened with, "Mom there is trash everywhere. Come quick!" I peeked out the window to find the receycling bin overturned and plastic strewn across the deck. I am assuming the neighbor's cat got into our yard last night. Evan quickly replied, "This is an event that I need to write about." He took out his new Halloween pencil and his journal and wrote this.

"A cta ran on the porch."

Proof that Writer's Workshop is working!

Let's Celebrate

Our friends, the Cranes, have two boys the same ages as Evan and Keagan. We have a lot in common with them: we are both military, have two boys 21 months apart, we are soccer moms, and we both live in rental houses in the process of a short sale. Lately, we have spent a lot of time trading stories and advice. Their older son Hunter had his sixth birthday today at the bowling alley. It was the first time that either of my boys had bowled, and Evan was super excited about giving bowling a try. Some how he had learned the lingo (spare and strike) and he used it appropriately at the party. We had a great time!

Motorcylces and Tigers

On our way home from school today, Keagan said, "Mom, I want a motorcycle." Evan responded, "No, you don't Keagan. They are dangerous." Keagan said, "No, they are fun!" This exchange epitimizes our boys. Keagan is adventurous and daring. Evan is prudent and cautious.

Further down the road Keagan asked, "Mom, do tigers shave?" Assuming he was mentally comparing a lion and a tiger, I tried to explain that tigers don't have manes like a lion. He replied, "No, I was wondering why the tiger has shaving cream around his face. Does he shave?"

Home, Sweet, Home Number 7

In the ten years that Wes and I have been married, we have moved six times. At the end of the month we will be moving into house number seven. The owners of the house we currently rent are going into foreclosure and the owner is hoping to sell the house before the bank repossesses it. Thankfully, the owners of the new rental house have agreed to lease their house to us for eight months. The two houses officially sit 1/8 mile apart. 

What a relief to have some questions finally answered! Now we are awaiting paperwork from two banks that will allow the gov't to move us for free. The boys are excited about the move, sort of anyway. Keagan is still worried that he will never see his Thomas trains, bunk bed, or collection of costumes ever again. Evan really wanted to live on a street with a friend from school. Unfortunately, the cul-de-sac has very few young kids. In my spare time, like I have any!!!, I will be cleaning out closets and trying to consolidate as much as possible. And we must find a washer and dryer. 

Shooting the Ball

After much anticipation Keagan finally had his first Soccer Smarts class at the rec center today. This is the same class that introduced Evan to soccer and the basics of various ball handling skills two years ago. Keagan was thrilled to find his friend Bryce in the same class, and he was quick to tattle on another little boy that didn't follow the instructions of the coach. Today he practiced stopping the ball, passing the ball, and dribbling the ball. At the end of class, he got to shoot the ball into the net. On our way out to the car, he asked, "How do you shoot a ball, Mom?" When I explained that it meant the same thing as kicking the ball into the net, a great wave of relief came over him. My poor baby thought that next week Coach Tony was going to bring guns to shoot the ball.

Farm Life in the Fall

For two years I have heard and read stories about a local farm that hosts a fall festival every year. This year I told Wes that we would definitely make the trip to Centerville to experience the annual Fall Festival, but when we arrived in mid-afternoon and saw the rows upon rows of cars, I thought it would be too crowded to enjoy. Then we had to pay $60 to get in, and I thought Wes was going to faint in the hay right there in front of the many, many people. I began to wonder what we were thinking, and then we got around the corner to see a vast expanse filled with corn field mazes, animals pens, hay mazes, slides, and more. We didn't know where to begin. We took a hayride around the perimeter of the corn fields, across a creek, and into a haunted barn with disco lights and music....Keagan's favorite part of the day. 

Wes found a hut giving away apples and cold apple cider...his favorite part of the day. Evan found the corn maze with Fun House mirrors, and he laughed until his face turned red....His favorite part of the day.

But we also rode every slide, did the Tarzan rope swing, and searched for pennies in a haystack. We visited every animal pen and fed the milking cow.

On our way out, we each selected a miniature pumpkin. It was a great way to spend a fall afternoon.

Kicked to the Curb

Because we move frequently, we rent our housing. Although we considered buying a house when we were reassigned to Belvoir three years ago, we are so thankful that we reneged on the deal at the last minute. We would have lost thousands upon thousands of dollars!

In July a rep from a bank left a notice of default for the owner of our house on our door. A few days later, another bank rep returned taking pictures of our house. I know all of this because I was hiding behind the upstairs window curtains watching from above. This week we received strange phone calls; people demanding contact information for the owner.

Tonight we are convinced that the bank will foreclose on our house in the very near future. What will happen to us? We found that the gov't will actually pay for a local move if we are forced out because the owners default on their loan. We were relieved to find that information, but moving is such a pain. I can't imagine moving in the next few weeks only to move again in June. Can you believe our luck?