Leroy

Leroy discovered he could reach our toaster oven. So he started turning the knobs. We had to unplug the toaster...

Pics

Leroy discovered that electricity is fun.

Cutest piglet.

Leroy loves to read.  I keep catching him reading quietly.

Even in his cute rocking chair!

Flowers!

I've been landscaping our house this summer. I finally got to a spot that I could buy annuals to add some color! It was only $20 for all that we need to fill out the bed.

Top: front of the house - the new flowers are in the pots. 

Bottom left: an established pot that I hope all the pots I planted today get to. 

Bottom right: my favorite pot so far. 

The front bed used to be full of grass. Neoma dug out most of the front, but I've been keeping it clear and taking care of the plants there. It is so satisfying to flower garden! And I am so glad that I have a dad who can help me when I need it. 

Dancing baby

Leroy likes to dance to music.  Sometimes he sings along too.

More flooring

We decided to take the leftover flooring and put it in our basement. We just had a cut carpet edge and poured cement flooring. Now, we have this beauty:

We ran out before we could finish. But that's okay because our stairs really need some help. 

So I figure that once the stairs get finished (by a professional because the drywall is also wonky and the stairs are built over the carpet and some other weird things) we may order more flooring and finish the whole thing! But for now it is so awesome. The picture of our new flooring makes me so happy. 

Also, I had the "opportunity" to clean our carpet yesterday. I left out a blue sharpie. Which Peter (2 years old) found and colored his hands and carpet with. You can't see it easily, but if you look just in front of Peter you can see scribbles from the fireplace to the white car. 

Rubbing alcohol just made the blue spread into splotches. Hairspray was somewhat effective, but I didn't want to scrub that hard for that long, so I borrowed Mom and Dad Gould's carpet cleaner. 

I finished off with a spot cleaner spray that I went over again with the cleaner machine. And my results? See for yourself:

New flooring

Our neighbors are redoing the flooring in their house and they gave me their old flooring. We have had linoleum in our garage to keep it warmer on our feet in front of the washing machine and food storage. I have been wanting to redo the flooring in the garage because it was starting to look shabby. Well, I used their flooring to make it awesome!

I am waiting for Hollis to get home from work so he can use a saw to cut the boards to the length I need to finish it. 

This week at our house

We lowered Leroy's crib and now it is the perfect height for standing. Which he loves.

Also, it warmed up to a balmy 54 degrees Fahrenheit, which is warm enough to play in water outside (according to my nephews). 

We also went to the doctor for a well baby visit! And Leroy did not have any ear infections! Or need any shots! Hooray! He did like playing with the toys there though. 

We also got Leroy eating food again. He likes crunchy things and doesn't like soft things. 

Yum! Apples and Cheerios!

We also had a ward pinewood derby. Hollis and I made cars for the event and Leroy got to use one that Hollis made when he was in Cub Scouts. Jason and Sam made one too. Benji didn't want to be left out, so he brought his Lego Francesco car. He turned his in and it got a number too!

We are numbers 6-10. Michelle = #6. Leroy = #7. Hollis = #8. Jason = #9. Benji = #10. 

Jason took second place overall. 

And in closing, this is Leroy playing for the first time at the giant step in his room. 

Project week

We did a lot while the Goulds were gone. First, I repainted the boys room. It used to be overpoweringly neon green (a rather nice green, but just way to much when the walls and ceiling were all that same color). I started out with the goal to paint the ceiling white, but ended up repainting all the walls too.

And then removing all the old baseboards and door wrap. Then painting and putting in new ones. And painting the doors.

Then we put baseboards in the family room (which was actually the original project I talked to Hollis about doing).

Oh! And I primed and painted over a retextured portion of the living room ceiling too! You alsmot can't tell where it was.

I was still putting the house back in order when Hollis picked the Goulds from the airport, but I managed to get it done. Yay!

Also someone came over to watch Leroy a couple of times so I could work and my mom came and helped for a day too.

Home beautification project

When Hollis and I moved into the Goulden Nugget, we planned to repaint parts of the house. I painted the walls and ceiling of the family room, entryway, stairs, and upstairs landing in January/February. I don't have any "before" pictures, but this is the after:

Hollis replaced the light fixtures too. We are in the process of replacing the baseboards and doors. (Neoma made all the decorating decisions. We are just providing the labor.)

Next Neoma said that she and Jason were considering hiring a landscaper to take care of their yard. I suddenly remembered that I have a lot of job experience in landscaping, specifically lawn care maintenance. So I volunteered to do it. While they are in Hawaii I reseeded the lawn so it could go a week with no one stepping on it. However, before I could seed, I needed to get rid of the moss. I had put down some moss killer a week ago, so I raked out most of the moss when I de-thatched the grass. It filled an entire garbage can.

Yesterday I found this cool scrubber for sale at Target. It has an oscillating head to power scrub the areas that normally need a toothbrush to get clean.

My plan is to attack this grout in our bathroom. I will make the grout much whiter.

Leroy and Sam

Sam is five and a half years older than Leroy, and that is exactly the right age difference for them to play together really well.

Leroy also thinks Sam is the funniest thing ever.  Leroy laughed every time that Sam made a slam dunk.

I think it's awesome and adorable.

I finished a project!

I started working on Leroy's stocking last October. It wasn't done in time for Christmas, but that was okay because Leroy didn't notice. Well, I finished it yesterday!

I think it's pretty cute.

8 months old

I love to walk everywhere (with lots of help, of course). I recently decided that I do not like to eat real food anymore. Just yummy formula! But I can feed myself now.

I also play with toys now. I love Lego Duplos. It makes me feel like one of the big boys.

I can roll wherever I want to, but going forward is really hard!

Things to eat

Leroy has started chewing on things in earnest.  He wants to eat, but he hates "baby" food.  This is a selection of the things he currently eats.

Bread!

and Piano Bench!

So yummy.

7 months

I weigh about 21 pounds. I can eat solid foods, though mommy is too lazy to mash food up so I only eat food once every other day. I sleep from 9 pm to about 3 am and then get up at 7. Mon usually snuggles me back to sleep and then we both get up around 9.

Snugly baby

I love nap time. When Peter is also napping. And Leroy is so snuggly

Wiggly baby

Our baby boy can't hold still.  He loves to move, wiggle and bounce!

Baby juggling

Hollis has been waiting a long time for Leroy to be big enough to juggle play with.  Good thing Leroy love being tossed!

Leroy's bedtime

Leroy gets really giggly when it is time for him to go to bed.  Hence, he stays up later than he would otherwise because Hollis and I can't stop playing with him.  Could you put this to bed?

We can.  Mostly.

At the Park

A whole park of toys and woods and slides, etc. And without fail the favorite thing is the rock with water in it.

Leroy and his Exersaucer

Leroy loves his exer-saucer.

Hollis

He rocks: sleep trained Leroy on dec 23 night. Also did all the laundry (all baskets full) and gave me a clean bathroom for Christmas.

I love my clean bathroom.