MamaFae's Knit Whits

Update for mid-May:

Its been cool and drizzly here the last couple of days, but we are supposed to have 70's and dry through memorial day. I'm looking forward to finishing my planting and cleaning up the back yard. We should have a really nice garden this year as long as I can keep up with the weeding and watering. Marc is off Friday and Monday, so there are a few projects I hope we can get done. We also want to spend at least one day either up on the mountain or out at the beach. If its warm enough I hope to smoke a brisket one day too.

The kids are doing okay. Lily is so very excited to be turning 4 next week. We will have a little family party for her with cake and ice cream on Wednesday, then on June 7th she and I are going to host a mommy and daughter tea at a local Victorian tea house with 2 of my friends and their 4 year old daughters. Lily specifically asked to have a "girls only" party. So this is what we will do. I found her a beautiful sage green frilly dress to wear on clearance at Fred Meyer for only $13! It will be a lot of fun for her. I've asked one of the mom's to bring her really nice cannon digital and take some pictures, so I will be sure to send along some when I get them from her.

Colton is having an absolute blast in school. His reading has come along nicely. He is right where he should be and we couldn't be happier. He is such a loving little boy. Today he told his sister to eat all her veggies because they would "make her pretty like mommy". He continues to astound me with his creativity and all of his gorgeous artwork. I don't have the heart to throw any of it away! At the school open house last week we had a great time seeing all of the projects Colton had hanging in the hallway and in his room. His teacher just adores him and says he makes her laugh everyday with his quirky outlook on life.

Austin is still having some rough days with paying attention and finishing his work. It is primarily with writing. We finally had to sit down with him and explain that even though he knows how to write, if he doesn't do his work and show his teacher what he knows she may think he hasn't learned it and may want to have him do 2nd grade again. He is just barely getting to grade level in writing and we aren't sure if they will hold him back or not, but I am sure that if he doesn't improve, 3rd grade will be very hard for him. It is still so hard for me to decide if he really does have an attention/learning issue or if he is just being stubborn and doesn't want to do the work.

Marc's job is keeping him really busy lately. One of his team members' wife just gave birth to their 1st child and he will be out for 2 weeks. With Marc covering that extra work, he is putting in very full days. The good news is that because they are barely able to cover the contracts with the amount of techs they have right now it doesn't look like anyone else will be laid off! Whew!!! Marc's school is going well and he is carrying a B average. He has 2 more electives and then he starts the "meat" of the management program in July. From there he has about a year until he is finished. I'm really proud of him.

I have been looking for work, but either the jobs are straight commission, require full availability, or are in areas like food service that just don't make sense to take. We are making it right now and while we do without extras it doesn't make sense for me to take time away from my family for a job I'd hate if we don't absolutely need me too. We're pretty sure we can make it until fall when Border's will be bringing people back for the holidays again, and my manager there has told me she definitely wants me back then.

Only a few more weeks left of school and I am trying to figure out what our summer is going to be like. I'd like to take at least 1 camping trip, and a few day trips to places we've not seen in Oregon before. I'd like to get a few projects done, but we shall see things never go they way I plan them in my head. The challange is going to be surviving the summer without a car and all 3 kids at home! I hope we can get to know the bus routes well and be out and about, not stuck at home!