Getting to know us

As I continue to figure out the fine art of blogging, I thought I would share with you what we've been up to lately.

Bill - oh sweet Bill. He is such a hard worker and a wonderful provider for the kids and I. He is a Physicians Assistant. He worked in Cardiology for one year just after graduation, and is now in the emergency room, he's been there for 6 years. He is working long 12 hour days. It is very hard on him, I just wonder how much longer he can stick it out without losing his mind. It's difficult to not have him home for so long, and then add in the holidays/weekends that he has to work, it's not much fun for any of us. But the bill's must be paid! He has also become quite the handyman around the house. First, we bought the swing set, so he had to get the ground ready for that. Using landscaping timbers, some of the neighbors tools, and about 10 square yards of dirt, he leveled out the ground and built a 24' x 28' square. It turned out really well and I am so very proud of him. He did all this in under 2 weeks on his couple of days off, and then in the mornings before he would go into work. I think it about killed him, but it looks great. Meanwhile, during all of this, we were getting ready for his mother's 75th birthday party, so I asked him to paint some of the walls in the breakfast nook that the kids had left their marks on. They looked great for about a week. :-) Then his second big job (he calls me "the taskmaster") was to get the garage under control. We've been in this house for only 5 years, but it amazes me how much junk you can aquire. So we made a trip to Lowe's and bought some garage organizational stuff and he spent about a day and a half on that. It looks much much better, but there is still some work to be done. I don't think I will ask him to do anything else for awhile. So, that's Bill. He is a wonderful husband and father, and I love him with all my heart.

Marci- There's really not much to say about me. I'm doing the same old thing. I work at Hamilton Foot and Ankle Care http://www.hamiltonfootandanklecare.com/ on Bill's days off, which is usually twice a week. It's a great job, and I've known the doctor for about 7 years. We worked together at a larger podiatry group for a few years and then he left and opened his own practice and asked me if I would like to work for him. The rest is history. It is also an added bonus because it's about a 1/2 mile from the house and takes me 1 minute to get there.....2 if there is traffic. I've been in podiatry for over 11 years now. Feet are all I know. :-) So, when I'm not working, I'm taking care of the kids and the house. The only part of the swing set part is that I took many wheelbarrow loads of mulch from the driveway to the back and spread it out. That would be 11 square yards! Have you ever seen that much mulch??? It's a lot. I didn't think I would ever finish. That's about it for me.

Emma- She is getting so big! She is 4 1/2 years old. We keep telling her that she needs to stop growing. In a taunting voice she says....."guess what? I'm going to get bigger!!!" She is a stinker, and very loud. She has two volumes, loud and louder. She is full of energy. She is a wonderful big sister and loves her brother. She is a great helper around the house when she's in the mood or is being bribed! She just finished her first year of pre-school. It was a great thing. We absolutely love the school and teachers. She really grew up a lot during the year. She is "learning" spanish (I only say that b/c they only teach them a few words, but don't expect them to actually remember.) She makes up a word that means absolutely nothing and says, "that's spanish for open". She will start pre-school again in the fall 3 days a week, and then on to kindergarten. I'm REALLY not looking forward to that.

Nicholas- Or as we call him "Nicho", pronounced like nee-ko. He will be 2 on June 30th. All I can say is HE IS SUCH A BOY!!! He has to be in constant motion. He only sits still when it's time to eat, and then it's only for about 5 minutes. He always has bruises, bumps or cuts. He loves going into our pantry and looking around. I think that would qualify as his favorite room in the house. He loves his sister because she teaches him everything that he should not be doing. He is going through speech therapy because the boy refuses to talk much in anyway that we can understand him. Erin comes to the house every Tuesday. We can see progress, but she also agrees that he is just being stubborn....much like his father in this way. :-) He'll talk sooner or later. He will start his first year of pre-school in the fall at the same school as Emma. He will go 2 days a week. What will we do with our free time???? I'm hoping that being around other children his age will help him with his speech. Only time will tell. He is still a cutie-patootie and we love him.

Ok, that's a wrap. Cheri is bringing the kids over for a sleepover tonight. Tomorrow is her and Rich's 15th anniversary, so they are going on a date. The kids and I will have a great time. I've got some fun things planned.

Ta-ta for now. I'll try and get some pics on here. Love to you all!