The Lake

So we went to the lake this week for a little R&R with the kiddos. As a side bonus, we got to see some friends that we "moved up north". Seriously folks, we have moved LOTS of people northward. I'm not talking about picking up a couch and hauling boxes, I mean people get to know us, we become friends, we hang out, and they suddenly get the itch to move northward. We're beginning to get a complex. We've done it to at least 3 couples and a nice old neighbor lady in the last 5 years or so. Thems bad odds. Our current local friends beware...

Anywho, before we left for the lake we were going to have the house sprayed for crawly things, hence the need to get the kids out of dodge, but turns out our crawly things aren't very bad or dangerous/destructive, so we saved a few hundred bucks there. Then we found the leak in the water heater...now we have a couple hundred to spend. More on that later.

We go to the lake on apparently the hottest week of the freaking year. It's 85 in the cottage with all fans running and windows open. It's the kind of weather that you get out of a cool shower and immediately start sweating again. I seriously took to drying my hair in front of 3 fans with a hairdryer so I didn't pass out. That's dedication. The children are running around in diapers/pull ups only and occasionally Jack is letting it fly anywhere (this lead to a rather unfortunate poop on the floor incident, but I digress...). Now I am a citified girl. I live for AC. I love it. I missed it terribly, but we survived so stick that in the best wifey ever category for not pitching a fit :) We have the run of the place for several days so each kid has their own room, and Scott and I are sharing a room with 2 twin beds, separated by a nightstand...terribly 1950's of us :) I introduced Jack to his first S'more and he is THRILLED, as he is to all things food, and as a plus, the chocolate was melting even before the gas stove toasted marshmallow is applied to the graham cracker :)

We spent a few days hanging out, going swimming a lot and playing with kiddos. We drove an hour or so through Amish country, getting lost amongst the blindingly white houses and horse poop filled roads, but made it up to see some friends house for a yummy lasagna dinner complete with brownies, Scott's all time favorite. I got to meet their little cutie and show off the cute little monkeys we have. A good time was had by all, with the possible exception of Jack who got temporarily freaked out by a Veggie Tale episode he was watching by himself. I think he started to fall asleep and then didn't know where he was when he woke up, poor little guy tried to run up the stairs screaming, but then started to fall as he was trying to tell me what happened. It was funny and cute, and he thanked us for "saving him". He's such a cute little goober, even when he's scared.

The in-laws came Thursday night, much to Jacks utter delight and we went tubing the next morning with the neighbors and their 2 little girls. We had the girls go first to show Jack how it was done, then he wanted to go with his Pa Paw. Here's what happened with that :)

Notice how you can't see the tube? He he hee... After they both dumped and came up sputtering (thank you God for giving me a boy who goes under and comes back up willing to try again immediately!!). Jack got up the nerve to go by himself and had the best time. We are so proud of our little trooper. He didn't want to stop! Now granted, it was tubing behind a pontoon boat so it wasn't a wild ride, but he's not quite 3 yet! He rocks, like his mama...it's alright, you can insert laughter here_________. Done now?



Friday night the grandparents offered to watch the kiddos so we could go meet up with couple #2 that we shoved northward. Had a great time eating too much Mexican food and hanging out with one of their cool kiddos (hope your noggin is better little man!). All in all a fun time. Couple #3 was supposed to come to the lake on Saturday, but texted at midnight that their little man was sick so that trip was cancelled for them :( There's always next time!


So now back to the water heater, no hot water means no showers, which means no Sunday services for the Miller brood and no laundry or dish service as well. As I am OCD about stains, I go to my mom's house and frantically do laundry to make sure that all of Livie's spit up gets out of the stuff we took to the lake while Scott and his Dad deal with buying a new water heater and fixing it up. Have I mentioned that we have a little girl who spits and tends to like a few bottles a day...all with no hot water? I feel like Laura Ingalls Wilder heating water on the stove to do dishes. You know I'm a city girl right? Anyway, that's done so hurray!


In other, and exciting news, we have Olivia updates. She will take a sippy cup in place of a bottle when needed without a fuss. I love this, but it makes her seems to old...which I hate. She is officially a crawling girl as well! She's been ecking out a ugly yet effective army crawl for some time, but recently got the proper crawl down. Watch out world. She is also pulling herself up, as she demonstrated in the tub! Not the safest of places, but impressive none the less. She's also eating a lot more table food and thinking she's a cool chick for doing it. When I make her a bottle now she looks at me and says "MMMMMMM!" and grins a few times. She also started holding the bottle by herself (not bad as she's really only had 3 weeks practice). This also makes her seem old and I don't like that.


Jack has pooped on the potty an average of once a day for the past week or so and generally does a great job if he's bottomless, but is less reliable if he has a safety net and is doing something he deems more important (which means anything other than going to the potty). We're still working on it. He's starting to test the boundaries a bit more lately as well, so we're trying to remain firm and consistent while restraining ourselves from going "WHERE IS MY SWEET BOY AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM!". He still has many brilliant moments of genuine squeeze him til his eye bulge out cuteness, but now they are peppered with bouts of severe annoying whining and a fleeting "deafness" that only applies to directions we give him. It's mysterious... I just got back from a long trip to do laundry and go grocery shopping and Jack was beside himself crying because he missed me. He wouldn't go to bed without a cuddle from mommy. He NEVER does that. I loved it ;)

Anyway, this is a super long post and I'm tired so I'm done! Hope this catches you all up!