It's been awhile

It's been a long time since I've written anything in this blog. And even it was a big catch-up post! So, what's new with us? Nothing too much, just little things.

Ava is still doing really well at school. She's now reading well into a 5th grade level, it blows my mind. Math is coming along really well too. When she does her math homework she just "knows" the answer. The hardest part for her is trying to "show her work". I've had to tell her to draw or write it out so a kindergartner could understand. She recently was complaining of literacy time at school being "easy, easy, easy" and not wanting to go to school until it was over. After talking with her teacher I learned that Ava was in a high-performing reading group and that they were being given pretty challenging work. I think Ava was a bit lost at how to actually have to "work". Everything at school has always come so easy for her that now that she really has to think she didn't like it. A conversation with me and some encouraging words from her teacher and she's fine with it now. Now if I could only get my smart girl to clean up after herself at home! She's the messiest girl I know! :)

Maddux is also doing well. He had his tonsils and adenoids out and had his ears drained a few weeks ago. It was a quite brutal recovery time for the first 2 weeks. Lots of mommy guilt over the pain and lots of times of me going to bed in tears after being up with him miserable and in pain. :( I'm not normally a person who calls in to speak to a nurse but I did it twice during those 2 weeks. She assured me going into week 3 would be the turnaround and sure enough she was right. And at just over 3 weeks out he's already sleeping more soundly and quietly! It's the first time since he was teeny-tiny that he's not snoring up a storm! So, in the end it was worth it. Maddux has also started to read. He's beginning to surprise me by telling me something that is written on a cereal box and when I ask him how he knows it says that he looks at me like I have 2 heads and says "I read it!". I'm a little concerned about him being ready for kindergarten maturity-wise, but he's definitley ready for the work!

Speaking of schools the next biggest thing going on for us is that we are considering moving. Kevin has never been a big fan of CMS schools and has sort of regretted that we didn't do more homework about schools before we bought this house. But now he's really go the bug to move and I'm pretty on board with the decision as well. It's not going to be anytime soon, more like in the next year or two, but it's a solid enough decision that it's changed our perspective on this house. Our house is 19 years old so it's starting to need all sorts of repairs and updating. But now we're thinking about resale rather than just doing what we like. So instead of spending a boatload to vinyl the house we're probably just going to repair any rot and paint as needed. Instead of doing a fancy redo of the downstairs bathroom we're just going to get a new sink/cabinet (the current one is broken) and paint. And the first step is our bedroom. Our bed broke (get your heads out of the gutter) a year or so ago and since then it's just been sitting on a frame, with no headboard. Our dresser is ugly and doesn't even fit in our room well. Basically our room had taken on the look of a college bedroom. So, we're going to get new carpet and actually get some real matching furniture! I know this is a lot for us, but it has to help sell a house to have a master bedroom that actually looks like a master bedroom.

Now, I'm off with Maddux to look at carpet at Lowe's. My goal is to narrow it down to a few choices today, then head back tomorrow with Kevin and place the order. Tomorrow we've planned a trip to Ikea to get part of the furniture for our room.