100220 - Great Games!

100220 - Up in the am and everyone ready for a day of basketball!  GmaW showed up and away we went.
First was Jack's game and they did really good!  Jack got a basket and him and his buddy made up a couple of plays that helped them move the ball down the floor. 
Then a LOUD trip to Mcd's for lunch, and then home to relax and prepare for the next game.  LJG, GmaW & I played some games, G took a short snooze.   I got some computer work done.  D over to his buddy's house and we met up with him at his game.
 All of us to Dylan's game.  It was looking pretty bad when they were down 14 to 2 at half time.  Then our second half team charged up and came back!! with only seconds to go in the 4th qtr the ball was passed to Dylan, he was standing right under hte basket, frantically looking around to see who he could pass the ball to... I scream 'SHOOT IT!!!!', he looks up, realizes he is right under the basket, tosses it up gently and 2 points!!!!.  The crowd went NUTS!!! how cool is that?!  it went on for 2 overtimes and his team won!!!  VERY EXCITING GAME!
We then dropped GmaW off back at the house and went out to eat with some friends.  Here you can see how excited all this made Grant...
A VERY GOOD DAY!

100219 - Snowmen

100219 - Up and tested all morning.  Then Jeff and I went to meet with an accountant to see it we need one or if our tax advisory is good enough.  Result = we dont need an accountant, but now we know one...

Home and Howdy wanted to show me the snowman he and his brothers built.

Fast night, up late working and watching the olympics.  Why is curling so fascinating?

100218 - Ice Houses

100218 - Full day at the desk. Outside to try and get some of the weight off the gutters by knocking the icicles down. I was wearing a hard hat and the boys thought that was cool. Dinner with the fam and then L out to J's Teacher conference. I stayed with the wild people and cleaned up after dinner.
I got G ready and he went outside to play with D. J&I played war until L got home with the report from him teacher: J is a kindhearted, soft-spoken little boy that can get too focused/spaced out at times. Yeah that's Jack... All boys in, watched some TV, GmaW called with an update on Dusty, Nibbles and the kitties, we had a snack, all boys to bed. I stayed up doing taxes until 2...

100217 - Snowman Bones

100217 - Up and full day at the desk. J's Dr called and we now have a bone marrow test for J next Wed... J looks pretty pale and the circles under his eyes seem to be darkening and growing...
When the boys got home from school they went outside and played splendidly together. Even enough cooperation to build a snowman!
Dinner and D off to basketball practice, J&I played war and G was just LOUD!
Gma&paW called tonight with the news that the shed next to the silo had collapsed! And Dusty and Nibbles were trapped inside :-o Lenard Dolce came over and helped them get the ponies out, they were scared but OK :-) The snow was too much for the roof. More work tomorrow to get the tractor out...
Jeff came over and we did some pretax business true/clean-up stuff. I stayed up late and balanced the CREI books for 2009, 3am...

100216 - Winter Shelter

100216 - Up and hanging out in Newcomerstown. Had some lunch there then got on the road. We took the big highways home, which takes a bit longer, and the roads were pretty clear. We got home and everything unloaded and the boys were bored... Huh, didn't we just entertain them for 72hrs straight???? So we bundled them up and sent them back outside. The boys were having so much fun I couldn't stay inside. I ran out, grabbed a shovel and in 30 min we had an awesome igloo!

100215 - Snowbound

100215 - Everyone up and out to the church gym for some basketball action. We played there for a bit and came out to a world gone white. Back to the house and G&I built an army guy castle while D&J did some homework.

We had some lunch sand then out for some sledding!


We all got cold and headed in except D&J who stayed out to play army guys in the woods.
When the big boys came in we checked the weather and realized there's no driving home today in this white-out. So we hunkered down with Bogart in Sahara and watched the black and white WWII classic. Time for dinner and the 3 energizer boys ate and I pushed them back outside for some night sled fun. They had a blast! When they came in L had a hot bath waiting for them. Somehow they all fit in there???
Downstairs for a snack, a bit more play, some snowboarding on the Olympics and then all boys to bed.

Location:Lincoln Ave,Newcomerstown,United States

100214 - Happy V-day

100214 - Up, LD&J to church & G&I hung out watching TV, reading the paper & a couple light saber fights. All home for lunch and getting a couple things done before we packed up the car and headed East to Newcomerstown. We played rough and some football b4 a Chinese and pizza dinner. Everyone in to the den for more play time and to watch the Olympics.

Location:Cross St,Newcomerstown,United States

100213 + Basketball day

100213 + Up and hanging out, L&D out to get groceries. All back home and ready for J's basketball game. Jack did great, but he is playing defense even when he is on offense??? After the game we went to some friends and checked out their house, man-cave, Blue Ray... Then quick stops @ the library, USPS and Cord Camera. Back home and we watched an old Bogart Army show.
After our break we all suited up and headed out to D's basketball game. D Jada good game too, but like J he is playing defense even when on offense??? After the game we caught a bite to eat with some friends & the kids were a bit LOUD!!! Home and all to bed and catching some of the Olympics.

100212 - Up and L in to school for the boys Valentines day parties with G in tow. Lori to the Dr. In the afternoon.
I finished up my testing, grabbed the fam and we went to the 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' movie debeut.
Arby's for dinner and then Home to watch the beginning of the 2010 Olympics.

100211 - Up and testing again... L&J in to the hematologist and his white blood cells are still VERY low (3000s)...
Everyone home and then L went to D's Teacher Conf. All good thing about D!
While L was @ the conference I was in charge dinner so 'every man for himself for dinner'. There were some interesting plates... But everyone was happy and ate everything on their plates!



D&I out then to Scouts. Home and work on a short sale packet for one of our rentals... :-|

100210 - Up and tested all day and all night...

Location:Cross St,Newcomerstown,United States

100209 + Haystacks

100209 + Up and snow snow everywhere! The boys were home with a day off from school. I was on the phone ALL day and missed the: sled riding, L shoveling our walk and driveway, L shoveling our neighbors walk, L giving directions to a truckload of Spanish speaking lost people, L shoveling Doc's driveway. What I didn't miss was dinner, playing Blockus and a bit of Wii with J.
We got a Valentine's day care package from GmaW today that had cool place mats, Pez and the ingredients to one of my favorite flavor in the world, along with the original recipe from my Grandma W for Haystacks.
While us boys were playing L attempted to replicate the candies that won the love of taste buds from an early age. Could she possible even come close to the perfection in confection that my Grandma honed over her near century of farm house cooking??? Here G, who didn't finish his dinner, is trying to steal a lick of the heavenly stacks... So could she do it? No! Never! But pretty close. Better make another batch for practice! ;-)

100208 - Hoops

100210 - Up and on task all day. Didn't get everything done, but a lot more then I thought I would... The house seemed a bit more relaxed today, compared to yesterday for sure. Maybe because the boys were in school.

Still we had our share of excitement; like when to police officer showed up today because 911 was dialed from our house...??? Grant and Jack were both taking naps when it happened and D had just gotten home from school. So at least the house was not in 'WAR ZONE' mode when the officer was here...

I finished the day and out to have dinner with the boys when I volunteered to take D and his friends to their basketball practice. And obviously completely out of all cognitive consciousness when I offered to take J&G along too.

What was I thinking???

I loaded the boys up and a small hoop and ball for G and we were off to practice. All of us played basketball for the full hour: running and shooting and running and dribbling and shooting. What a good time.

Home for a snack and some quiet time before the 'All boys to bed' signal.
I then picked up Doc and headed to meet with the Bible Bangers. It was good to sit and talk with them. Home for a little reading and to bed.

To answer my own question, 'what was I thinking'; I was thinking, 'I love these boys, no matter how much they fight, no matter how mean they can be to each other at times. They are my boys. I have to teach them, and show them that I love them and want to be with them as much as I possible can.'

100207 - Fighting Sons?

100207 - Up with all the boys and their sleep over friends. We had doughnuts for bfast, then L headed to church. They all played nice with eachother, just not with G... So I became a basketball hoop! You can see the intensity in Grant's face as he comes in for a shot, or is the Igor? (note the sweat bands on the wrists and knees)


The parents showed up and J's friend left. Then D went with his buddy to a baseball workout. This left JG&I at home watching shows, updating the blog from last December.
D got home and the 3 boys started asking: 'when are we eating?', 'can I have a snack?', 'when is mommy coming home?', 'let's do something, I'm bored!'. Holy crap! Is this a resturant? Am I a 24x7 entertainment coordinator?
L home and I'm stressed, the boys are hungry and cranky and TIRED! L got them fed. I got a couple of things done and then we all headed outdoors.
Well it was fun for a bit, then I was taking orders and had to make the ramp higher, find the ski poles, pick me up, push me, pull me... I did the best I could and then they started fighting about who's turn it was to go over the ramp, then yelling and screaming and pushing and pulling and swinging at eachother... Frustrated and not wanting to yell at them I abandon hope and go in to the garage and ask God 'what have I done wrong?', 'why do these boys do this?'. I just don't understand it?!?!?!?!
D sent to his room, J&G in shortly after and I sit on Dylan's bedroom floor ready to loose my mind trying to talk to him and figure out why he gets so mad so fast: at the same time trying to sort all the stressful things now going on in my life and business and work and how it is affecting all of us and how can I turn this all positive? I have been throuh WAY WORSE....
We pack up and head out to try and salvage the evening. We tried to get L to a store where she needed to pick up some stuff for J's upcoming Valentine's day party. While L was in the store I convinced D to climb one of the many snow mountians in the parking lot.

A nice dinner at Steak & Shake and then a quick stop at Meijer to exchange some shoes. Home to catch some of the Super Bowl and the commercials. D fell asleep on the couch and up to bed before the others. JG&I downstairs and played the Wii for a bit. I then got them to bed and hung out with L on the couch. We watched the rest of the Super Bowl and updated our Blogs and tried to figure out how to stay calm and help the boys get along better...

Let's see how tomorrow goes...

100206 + Glasses and More Boys

100206 + Up and the boys out to play in the new snow we got overnight. Columbus airport reported 10 inches. Then Dylan broke his glasses. Not a screw falling out, BUSTED. So D&I got the 4 wheel drive warmed up and plowed our way to the eye dr. I got am eye exam, where I messed with the poor assistant claiming I couldn't see anything she wanted me to read with my right eye.. I eventually said "well I always do have a problem seeing out of my glass eye. :-)". So we both got new glasses today, D got blue ones, and I had all the ladies narrow it down to their 4 favorite pairs and then D took pictures of me with the final four and emailed them to L to get her final vote. D got to wear his new cool blue glasses with magnetic sun glasses home and I will get mine in a couple days.
D&I then hit Meijer and got some windshield wipers, milk.... Then we picked up lunch and headed home.
D had a friend over to play outside. An the other followed them out. Soon jacks friend came over and we have 5 boys forthe night instead of 3. We gotthem fed and now they are playing and running all over the house!