Week 4-Framing cont.

The garage has been added!

The second floor is on it's way up!

Soccer-Summer 2009

Micro Soccer in Full Swing!
Soccer started a few weeks ago. Sam is doing great. Micro soccer consists of 40 ish children running around the field aimlessly. I think we are going to look into "real" soccer as he calls it soon. But, for now, they are having fun learning the basics.

Here is Sam and buddy/neighbor Nico

Sam's Orange Soccer Ball!

Sam and Matthew warming up before practice!

Our Soccer Star

Framing week

Sam narrating the house to brother Matthew
This is the entrance/front

Great Grandma Shirl and Great Papa Foster came up for their summer visit to check out our new home. The boys had a great big story for them to share!

Another view of the house.

Brendan M....your room is in there :)

Day 18 - Let the Framing BEGIN!!!

The boys loving the dirt!

So excited

This is the first floor framing. They started it yesterday and got the entire first floor done. Brad saw all the markings for the actual structure to be started. We got a email below from the builder that said:

Hi Brad & Erin~

I hope all is well. I wanted to let you know that the framers are at your home today working on the first floor. In the next few days you will actual get to see your home go up in frame. Please come by and visit. If you want to walk through the house just call or stop by the model and I will join you. Have a great 4th of July!

Sherry Land
William Ryan Homes
2456 Pawnee Drive
Grafton, WI 53024

More pictures of the first floor. We were standing on our front porch

Looking down into the basement! The boys wanted to go down there oh so bad :)

Sam, with his soccer cleats on!

Before this, I took the boys to Covered Bridge Park in Cedarburg. It was an amazing place and I can't wait to take clients there to take pictures.

This was the best one I got of my darling duo!

asleep anywhere but in a bed

Naps. Typically Sam and I can negotiate a daily nap. He agrees to stay in his room and play...quietly while his brother naps. About an hour goes by, he visits me about 3 times. Then I lay down the threat and he quickly goes in his room and shuts his eyes and dozes off. I just happened to be thinking about him, so I went to check on him sleeping.

This is what I found, and where I found him!

Sometimes you just do what you have to do!!! Matthew was shocked beyond anything to find his brother sleeping in a box! That's my little Sammy pirate :)

Day 21 - Wood Delivered (and garbage cans!)

Day 5 - Basement insulation installed

The boys screamed from their seats in the car, "LOOK MOMMY...the basement is painted PINK". I was so excited. The pink room I will never get to decorate!!!! Indeed they were correct. Pink basement walls it was. The insulation arrived and is complete. Now we wait until the walls dry. Soon soon soon the structure will be up and we will see what our home is going to look like!!!

Matthew singing to the neighbors..."you better watch out, you better not pout, Matthew Joseph is coming to town!" Sam so excited!
Here is our garage

Boys in heaven to be in the rocks with their crocks :)

Dirty dirty hands...oh my.

Sam so excited he started hugging and kissing Sam's back!!!! He said, "soon matthew we will have a house!". Precious. Priceless days.

PK3, Sam, CHECK!

With a little interruption in schooling, Sam finished PK3 at the JCC. We asked Mr. Jeff and Ms. Lisa to pose for a picture, and they were delighted to. Sam had a good few months at school in WI. He met some great friends! There is a 50% chance that if we choose this school for next year, Matthew would have this room as well. We are still undecided about preschool for next year as both boys will go. It is so so sad to me that my babies are growing!

Throughout the school year, Mr. Jeff and Ms. Lisa put together a list of questions. Every week they would ask the children the question, the children would answer and the teachers would post the answers outside in the hall. I want to remember some of these questions as I really did laugh out loud every time I passed!

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A Firefighter

Why don't snakes have feet?

They stomp

Why does a sticker stick?
we put it on paper

Why does the sun not fall out of the sky?

It sticks to the sky

Where does God Live?

In the sky

Why is the sky blue?

The clouds are blue to match

Why don't Monkey's live on the farm?
They don't like farmers

Why does a boat float?

When the wind comes it floats the boat

If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?

Seeds

My mom rocks because...?

She brings me pictures

Where do bug live in the winter?
I don't care...I don't like bugs!

His teachers both truly enjoyed Sam this year. They often joked with me that if they had a whole class of Sam's their job would be easy! Now it's onto Soccer, Tennis and swimming in the summer!

Day 3 - Basement walls

Here are the basement walls going up! It was so cool to see the crane lifting the walls up and putting them into the basement. We met another new neighbor today! She was awesome and we got another warm welcome into the neighborhood!

Day 1- excavating

Today was the day! The dirt has been moved. The boys and I showed up around 11 and the entire lot was almost dug. It was amazing. We got to speak to the workmen, who were ever so kind to the kids. They showed them where the front door was going to be and where they would park their bikes in the garage. It was a great day today! Neighbors and friends stopped by to join in on the excitement! Sophie enjoyed watching the dirt move as well! See the man down in the hole??? That is where he was showing Sam the front door would be!

The boys had druel running down their cheeks. They were sooo excited! They both stood there in amazement, while Sophie posed for the camera. She is sooo stinkin' cute.

Oh the memories we will have for them in years to come!

So, Day 1 was the dig. Tomorrow they will put the footings in. Wednesday they will pour the basement. All goes well, the dry wall should be complete the first week in July. WOW. How is that for fast!

SOLD...and waiting

The diggers arrived and we are getting excited!!!! Very excited. Now we wait for Monday, when all the fun begins.

One Step Closer to the New House

This week Erin and I meet with the builder’s project manager for our house to review all the plans and ensure all the options or changes we made were included since the house will be built according to the current drawings. We went room by room, checked windows, lights, color selections for floors and woodwork… everything checked out well. Next week the basement hole will be dug and the foundation will be installed.

Within 2 weeks the house should be framed and we will start to see the actual structure. It will be a race to see which house is done first, the lot next ours has been cleared and the hole is dug. I am sure some of the upcoming pictures will show the other house in the background.

The next meeting with the project manager will be just before the drywall is installed, this time we will be walking around the house structure after all the mechanics are in, electric wiring and some plumbing. This is expected to occur the first or second week of July. That is only 4-5 weeks away!!!!

Watch for some new pictures soon, from a lot full of weeds to a hole!!!

Potty tales...second child

Out with the diapers, in with the underpants. It's Matthew's turn to take a seat on the "big" boy potty! Although he has been using the potty for some time, he never really wore underpants outside of the house. However, we began on Monday.

Sam has been a huge incentive for Matthew to do his business on the potty instead of in his stinky diaper. He's had a few accidents...a few dramatic runs, but overall he is doing great. You see, when Sam was ready to use the potty, he just did it. Never has he had an accident. So, he set the bar pretty darn high for his brother. Sam was also a little over 3 when he started, so, hats off to Matthew for trying!

However, I must say, going to Target with Matthew wasn't as easy at it used to be. We visited the bathroom twice while there....and we were only there for 20 minutes. We visited the shopping malls bathroom 3 times while there for about 15 minutes and had a few scares while driving in the car. However, every time I asked him and he said he had to go, he did. So, GOOD JOB MATTHEW!!!

A little too much information about Matthew, however, I document for myself...poop.

Matthew is a habitual pooper. He goes the same time, every morning. And he has for almost 2 years now! It's been 3 days since his pooper has worked...because he is scared to go in the potty. So, I caved in...as his tummy was bubbling out hard as a rock. I let him poop in his diaper and let me tell you...it was the larges poop I have ever seen from a almost 3 year old. He felt so much better. I do remember doing this with Sam for some time, so, we're getting there.

Matthew has also mastered doing the potty dance, however, refuses to believe that he has to go potty. Today he told me that it is a "pretend" dance and he really is just doing it because he wants to! Is he 2 or what?

Also, a much needed documentation...only diapers for bed time. Not nap time...because according to Matthew, bed time is NOT nap time. So, for what it's worth....his bed has stayed dry! Thankfully because technically it is gaga and papa's bed :).

So, from the potty deck, Matthew is on the road to being a big boy! Hip Hip Hooray for him!

And what is a potty post without both boys getting fame to a picture!