How can I sum up the last month? Here goes:

L is walking...no running. She took her first steps before turning nine months and has been cruising around the living room for two weeks now. As I soon as I figure out how to post a video I will do it.

L is saying "no" , Ok, more like "nah" but she uses it in context to mean "no." This was also my first word. Awwwww.

L can sign "eat", "more", "drink" and "all done."

After awakening every 15 minutes for five hours last night, I find the culprit while feeding her grapes - her first two choppers (sharp ones)!

NO MORE PUMPING! I HAVE NOT PUMPED FOR ONE WHOLE WEEK!
The pesky milk ducts don't want to stop producing but I am holding strong. I may soon be able to fit into a bra size that does not need to be purchased at some specialty store for giant busted women.

Work sucks a lot. Thinking about trying to summarize why it sucks here in my blog is exhausting and depressing.

D frequently requesting to retreat to her room to "read all day." Favorites are Harry Potter , Nancy Drew and Michigan Chillers series and recently Bridge to Terabithia



D finally learned to ride a two wheeler after only about 30 minutes. Her reluctance to learn was at the heart of the delay - obviously not her readiness!

D is really excellng at Tae Kwon Do. We are all looking forward to watching her break a board at her next testing for her new belt.



E can now swim in the deep end "without a life jacket." Oh yeah, and be thrown really high into the air by Dad without fear of water in the face.

E caught a football 111 times in the yard with Daddy. He counted.

E was found to be a sweet wiffle ball player in family pick-up game with cousins.

In family news, big kids and parents went on our annual trip to Cedar Point and both kids pushed themselves to new heights (literally). D went on the biggest stuff she could (Magnum, Mean Streak, Gemini, Cork Screw). She wanted to go on Millenium, Dragster, Raptor, but they either had too long of a line or she was still too short. E still gravitated towards the tame rides (favorites were Snoopy race cars and sky ride), but he too went way beyond his comfort zone, riding the Blue Streak, Wildcat, Iron Dragon and Mine Ride. We had tons of fun and really sore legs. L stayed with M and Grandpa and didn't seem to have given them much trouble except being grouchy with Grandpa's bath.

And finally, our kitchen is being remodeled. J promised repeatedly that it would take two days. It's now been two weeks and isn't quite done. I can't begrudge him though as he is working exceptionally hard and trying to make it just right. And best of all, I now have a working dishwasher. The project began with the help of Uncle Ray, my mom and Dad and brother all pitching in with labor, childcare, multiple trips to the hardware store, solicited and unsolicited advice, creative solutions to electrical and plumbing problems (including repairing a pipe sliced through while trying to move an electrical outlet. The floors are in, three of the four walls are painted, the cabinets are put together and mostly in, the appliances are functional and we have running water that has stopped trickling into the basement for the time being. A valuable personal lesson for me is that while I love the result of such hard work, I have an extreme aversion to participating in it. Note to self - next home cannot be 100 years old.