Interesting week

The floors are done, just a few touches to finish up. They look great!

Kaci and I went and listened to Max play the Star Spangled banner. I recorded it on the phone and now I can't get it to play on the computer. With some looking I might be able to convert it to put it out here. Max is happy and doing well. I thought he looked a little too thin, but he is happy with his weight. I guess you could say I worry. He played very well. We chatted for a while and he is very excited about his prospects at Western Illinios University. He is still checking into other colleges as well. He has been very busy with school, basketball, and music. He has been playing at many performances and concerts. His new family has plenty of drivers to get everyone where they need to be.

Kali went on a field trip today to the St. Louis Arch. Here are some pictures of her trip.

Video of MAx Playing violin at a basketball game

Final stretch and girls are growing fast!

We are down to the final 3 foot length! yeah! And the floor will be done! Then we have the mop boards to put back and put everything away.

























The girls are growing so fast! Here are some very recent pics

Kali's band and volleyball pics

Current pics

Kali

Kaci

Project continues

The flooring project continues. We are almost done with two rooms. I think it will be time to move stuff around again soon to finish up the last 6 feet of floor in both living room and kitchen. Hopefully we will be done with flooring projects for a while. The place is a disaster and you just don't know where to start to even try to keep it picked up and just give up. No place to sit and eat. Getting to the refrigerator or feeding the cat is an act of contortion. You don't dare step into the garage or you are attacked by a table saw and old flooring. I think the clean up will take as long as the project itself.

Here are some pics of the ongoing mess.

Project ongoing/shopping with friends

The living room project is still ongoing. The prep work is almost complete. Then easy part comes, putting the new flooring in. The kids helped a lot on Sunday and then on Monday I took them all with me to leave their dad alone for a while. We were gone most of the day on Monday hanging out and shopping with friends. We found the perfect dress for Kaci for the flower girl dress. And while we were out with friends, one of them received a call to pick up a foster baby at the hospital. The family is hoping to adopt the baby based on the circumstances.

Here are some pics:

Volleyball and sleepovers

Yesterday Kali had an all day volleyball tournament in Lincoln. When I picked her up at the the school I could hardly wait to hear how well they had done. Kali hops in the van turns to me and says "We came in dead last!" I said what!? I bet your coach is mad. Nope. He seemed to be in a pretty good mood. But at one game that they lost really bad, they all went to sit down and the coach tells them, Stand up you don't deserve to sit! They all stood up shocked. Then she said, never mind..... Kali has games on Monday and Tuesday so she won't get run at practice until Wednesday practice. Maybe the coaches will forget or maybe the girls will step up and win a game or two. We all know they can do it.

Then I find out she and friends had planned to go to a movie. O.k.... but did you ask if you can go to the movie? Then her friends call and want to know if I can take 5 of them to the movies. Well, I could if I had not already had plans with the family to go out to eat. Then Kali wants me to just drop her off at her friend's house on our way to spend the night. Where did that come from! Then I said again, no you are not blowing off your family to spend the night with friends.

So we went out to eat. Dropped her off after. I think they are forgetting they need to ASK first. Then make plans. Maybe after the flooring is in we can have several of her friends here and they can watch movies and scatter on the floor to sleep. That way I can know what is going on. ha ha ha

A new house project

Yesterday we picked up the last of the flooring we needed to replace the living room, kitchen and hallway flooring. Boyd ripped up carpet in the living room and Kole helped pull staples. The Kids and I helped put the stuff that could be moved in all the other rooms of the house. ha ha


The piano, the sleeper sofa, large dresser, and the TV are the only things still in the room that we are just moving as we need to. Everything else is everywhere, driving me crazy! ha ha


Hopefully today we can get the under layment down and at least the living room done so we can start on the kitchen and get things moved back. Of course I think I am very optimistic.



What a mess

















Kole and Boyd pulling staples

President Obama comes to a town near us

President Obama came to Springfield last night to help celebrate President Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday. We watched Air Force One land at the airport on TV (Warmer inside). Kaci was so excited she was jumping up and down and really into the fact the President Barack Obama was that close to her home. She wants to get his autograph. She is so funny. Instead of a rockstar she wants the President's autograph. Then she advised that she wants our new Governor's autograph too. LOL Not the one that is not there anymore, but the one that was the Lt. Governor. hmmm maybe I have a polictcal science major building here. ha ha ha
I have not seen her that excited about something like that in a while.

Kali loves looking at the opinion cartoons in the paper. She gets the biggest kick out of them. She really enjoys the current events class that they have at school where they read the paper and discuss the topics in it. She has drawn several opinion cartoons, but they always seem to be on her papers that she has to keep at school. darn! I would love to see them.

Balloons to begin our day

This is Kole and Reiko relaxing this morning while watching cartoons and Kole blowing up a balloon. He would blow it up and release it. Kole finally had the sensation of the air releasing back into his mouth. He said it felt funny! He loves blowing them up and releasing them in room. Last night we were batting one around and Reiko got in on the fun and was tapping it into the air with his nose! I wish I had recorded that! It was so funny! The amazing thing about the balloon is that most kids who have had a cleft palate have a very difficult time blowing up balloons or sucking on a straw. Not Kole. You wouldn't know except a couple scars and a bit of leakage.































Then later at dinner, Kole did not want to eat. He said he wasn't hungry, so I asked what he had been snacking on, he said nothing. Boyd told me he found small packs of gummy lifesavers in his room hidden in his clean clothes. LOL
But, no mom, I have not been snacking. His dinner is still waiting for him. LOL



Is this a look of ornery!?

What a wonderful beautiful day here!

Today felt like spring.. It is just a tease, of course.... We still have 6 more weeks until spring. Today it made it up to approx. 61 degrees farenheit.

This week we had volleyball games and practices piano lessons, homework and just hanging out at home. It was nice to be in my pj's by 8:30 and in bed before 10. I volunteered to work for a parent who was sick and could not do her time at the concessions for a volleyball tournament.

Today I was shocked to realize that Kole's kindergarten year is almost over. He can read! If I would have had more time maybe I could have helped him go even further in his reading ability. So, now I look forward to working with him more. He really needs the attention.

The kids are cleaning their rooms so they can be vaccumed and then helping with laundry.
Today, Kaci's new dance shoes came in.... size 8! And they fit really well! Her feet will probably grow more before June when recital comes up.

We saw Max once this week, and I had to cut the visit short to run away to pick up Kali from a Volleyball practice. Him and Bryce stopped in to say hi and pick up an envelope from his dad with his transcripts in it. If I understand correctly from others he is playing with the orchestra and the Symphony on Wednesday night at the Prairie Capital Convention Center. As to the rest of what is going on, we are no longer informed. That is fine. I think he is happy.

The beginning of a new week

Monday was a usual Monday with a few exceptions. First a volleyball game after school. Boyd handled getting Kali there and home. Then dance class for Kaci where we found that she really in a size 8 jazz shoe, not a 4! OMG that kid has some really long feet. Then home to get kids ready for bed. We were home before 8:30 so Kaci was able to get to bed at a decent time and Kole was already in bed. Kali was last and I followed right behind her.
We made a trip to Max's new home to drop off his lunch bag, hair gel and two pair of shoes he forgot. We found out that he has a strep infection that is being treated with antibiotics and rest. He will be back to normal in a day or two.

Kaci is over her strep infection and as feisty as ever. She has her melancholy moments, but she is on the uphill side of her broken heart.

Kole is getting used to sleeping in his room alone again. You can tell he isn't sleeping real well due to the puffy eyes in the morning.

Kali is doing well, I think her "setter's thumb" is healing. slowly. It may not fully heal until volleyball season is over.

Boyd seems to be doing well. His color is good and he seems to have more energy. The new medication for blood pressure is working well for him.

Me, I am actually getting to bed before 10 so I can get up at 5:15 and am getting more rest. I was able to just sit and do nothing with peace around me last night. The decibal level in the house is not as high.

Tonight it will be time to pick up and put stuff away that did not get done this weekend.

The evening is quiet

Today Max moved to a new home in Athens. The kids were able to get him to go outside and play with them and they had a lot of fun picking on him while he was packing. He came with one suitcase and a violin and left with 2 suitcases, 3 bookbags, and 3 other bags full and a violin.

I hope all goes well there for him and the new family. As most could see from our blog entries we were overwhelmed with busy. We will see how the rest of our time this school year goes. The one kid who we thought would be totally upset, is fine. One is indifferent and we knew she would be and one is just totally heartbroken. She is crying and sobbing herself to sleep. You just say his name and she starts to cry. She will get over it, she always does when she attaches to someone and they leave. It will take her time to get over all of it. Her heart breaks so easy.


Here are a few pics taken before Max's new host family picked him up. (the date on the pics is incorrect, Kali has not set the date and time on the camera yet)

Recital on Saturday

All the kids did a wonderful job at recital yesterday. Kamen had all his students participating ranging from age 6 up to 70. The oldest was a Sister from one of the Catholic churchs in town. Max was the last to play and the sancturary at the church was in a total hush while he played. Several comments were, it made my heart stop, it gave me chills, it was beautiful, I held my breath, and wow (with reverence). I would say, Max will have no problem getting a scholarship to any college he chooses that has a music program. I was very proud of him. His parents should be as well. All pics can be see at http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbringolf/?saved=1

Following are some pictures from the day.

Max playing

Max with Austin and Alex the two youngest players

Max and Kamen Petkov




























Max and conductor Richard Haglund

























Austin and Alex youngest players 6 and 8


























Max and Maryna



























Max and Maryna