Could It Be a Sign?

I get daily emails from "Everyday Health" with tips and advice. Today's title: "Could It Be Bipolar Disorder?"
Now, the background here you should know. . . Camden is taking steroids because of an upper respiratory infection and his airways tightening. If you've never had a 2 year old on oral steroids, you should know that this email was directed towards his behavior!! It's been a long 2 days and we've still got 2 more days of meds! I deleted the article without reading it, but might have to go find it in my delete folder and see if it gives any advice on dealing with those with the disorder!

Griffin Overheard

Griffin LOVES to play on our cell phones. He loves all the many apps that Jeff has on his phone. One such app, that tends to be a favorite is a movie trailer app that you can view upcoming trailers for movies that are coming out soon. Well, apparently there is new trailer for a movie that starts months from now, called "Resident Evil."
G: Dad, did you see this new movie called Resident Evil?
J: Nope, haven't seen it.
G: Can I watch the preview?
J: No, you don't need to watch that.
G: I bet it's a movie about Barack Obama!
J: ---uncontrollable laughter---
We have decided that Grif is either one of two things: brainwashed or really intelligent!

Our NEW backyard!

Summer time can't get here soon enough in the McCreary household! After much debate and lots of number crunching, here's what's going on OUTSIDE our house!

Back yard at 9am today!

Then, Jeff and i spent an hour or so with our friend, Pete and a can of spray paint. And shortly after that - the backhoe getting started:

C is the official construction supervisor! He didn't even nap today (not that these days that's a surprise), so he wouldn't miss a minute of the fun!

After school snack time - while supervising:

Grif was the chosen one and was allowed IN the backhoe and he was taught how to operate it! He took his job VERY seriously and did great work! He turned the backhoe, scooped with it, moved the dirt to the "overage" pile, and more! And although the operator was in there with him, he let Griffin do the work alone after about 2 minutes of guided instruction! How cool! Every boy's dream . . . to operate construction equipment! He can check that one off his bucket list! Wish i had been invited to try it!

A close-up check to make sure Molly thinks it looks deep enough!

More supervising!

The deep end almost finished!

And these friends even joined us in the fun of watching! Do you think the construction fellas felt like fish in a fish bowl with all of us staring at them while they worked? It was a truly enjoyable day!

We've been told 4-8 weeks and we should be able to swim. It might be finished before the snow even stops falling!! But we sure are looking forward to our summer!

Bagging School?

Dear Kroger Bag Boy,
Although i am very grateful for your services when you actually come to my checkout lane, today i am very disappointed in your service. You clearly see that i have a barely 2 year old, happily (and this is big if he's still happy in the checkout lane) strapped into my buggy. WHY OH WHY do you feel it necessary to put ALL my groceries into a different cart? So naive me, i think you will escort me to my car and be a gentleman since i now have TWO buggies - one for kid and one for groceries. But, damn if you just turn around and don't say a word; don't even offer to take the groceries out. So i proceed to move my 2 year old to the packed buggy while you remain with your back to me. A very polite, lovely 50-something man obviously notices, and offers to push the now-empty-buggy to the cart area. I have a two year old who doesn't want to get into the full buggy because he was content in the OTHER buggy!
Now, skip ahead 2 minutes, and as i load my groceries - BY MYSELF MIND YOU - into the back of my car. . . i notice that you have been so kind as to put 5 boxes of macaroni and cheese in the bag ON TOP OF my bread. Then i notice that you have been even sweeter and put TWO cantaloupes in the bag with my green grapes!!!
Seriously, it doesn't take a genius bag boy! So, i will happily pay $100 for you to attend bag-boy school if they offer it, or better yet, next time, DON'T TRY TO HELP ME! Thanks but no thanks for your services today!

Sincerely,
One Angry Shopper!

Happy Half Birthday, Griffin!

Griffin is never in school for his real birthday, so in 1st grade we started celebrating his 1/2 birthday at school. Cupcakes in 1st grade, cookie cake in 2nd grade, and this year he requested cookie cake again, but due to a lack of time to order a cake, we agreed on double doozies . . .made by mom! Check out these YUMMY treats that are going to school with Griffin tomorrow:

Chocolate, white chocolate chip doozies!